Lifelong Links for children in care
Builds lasting relationships for young people in care and for those leaving care.
Lifelong Links helps you find family and friends who care about you.
You can safely reconnect with family members and other trusted adults. These could be people you already know, people you haven't seen for a while, or relatives you've never met.
It also gives you a chance to learn about your family history. And can give supportive, stable relationships during and after your time in care.
If you are currently in care
You can participate if you are a young person in care and have consent from a person with parental responsibility. Watch a short video explaining the process.
If this is something you feel you may be interested in, speak to your social worker or foster carer.
Next steps
This group of family members and other trusted adults is then brought together in a family group conference to make a life-long support plan.
At the family group conference, you can:
- talk about what you want and what you need
- plan how your family, and your friends will support you
Your social worker will be asked to agree to the plan, which will become part of your care or pathway plan.
You can work at your own pace. You will never have to talk about anything you don’t want to, and you can change your mind at any time.
For care leavers
If you have left care, you can still access Lifelong Links. It can help you reconnect with family members and other trusted adults in a safe environment. This might include people you're familiar with, those you haven't seen in a while, or even relatives you've never had the chance to meet.
It aims to give a solid and supportive relationships after your time in care, offering stability and understanding.
Who can take part
You can participate if you are leaving care or are a care-experienced young adult aged 18-25.
If you are interested in signing up, speak with your social worker, or your personal assistant or contact the Lifelong Links team directly by emailing lifelonglinks@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Next steps
We'll assign you a Lifelong Links coordinator who will:
- Help you explore your family history using timelines and family trees to identify who you want to reconnect with.
- Support strengthening your relationships and organising meet-ups with your chosen people, whether at 'family celebrations' or smaller, individual gatherings.
- Develop a plan to outline the support your network offers. Your coordinator will always ask for your permission before speaking to anyone and will regularly review this plan with you and your network.
Our coordinators are independent and don't make decisions about your future.