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Archive helps 'looked-after' children

Both children and staff in East Sussex have benefited from the ‘Imagined Lives’ scheme, which enables ‘looked-after’ children to engage with and learn from archives.

The scheme – run in 2006/7 by the East Sussex Record Office in partnership with East Sussex County Council’s Looked After Children’s Services – gave looked-after children the chance to explore what life was like for children like them in the past, through a range of archival resources.

Eight initial outreach sessions at children’s homes in the area introduced children to archive materials including plans of children’s homes and personal records more than 100 years old. The children then attended a series of workshops where they learnt about the living conditions of Victorian children, studied maps and diary extracts, and joined in a range of creative writing activities.

Youngsters "look back into history"

"We were pleased by how stimulating the youngsters found the archives. It was a real chance for them to look back into history and see how children like them lived," said Elizabeth Hughes, county archivist, who has extensive experience of working with looked-after children.

The results of the scheme were overwhelmingly positive, with children who were unfamiliar with the Record Office positively changing their attitudes towards archives. They were also able to gain key skills in researching and assessing documents, and increased confidence in the use of their literacy skills.

"During the workshops participants were encouraged to take ownership of their own learning. For example, they were offered the choice of creating a role-play rather than a written account," said Elizabeth Hughes.

Teamwork

The workshops also offered the children the chance to work in teams which helped to build their confidence. One child said: "it was strange, but good, to be in a room where everyone is in the same situation. They don’t see their parents. At school there might be one other person like that."

The scheme has been equally rewarding for staff at The Record Office. The workshops have continued to run since the scheme ended, yielding valuable feedback which has been used to create new guidelines for working with looked-after children.

Improved customer focus

The workshops have also informed the Record Office’s Audience Development Plan by identifying the ways young people want to use archives in the future. It is hoped that this will lead to an improved customer focus in the organisation for its future activities.

"We have been able to explore how archive resources can contribute to young people’s enjoyment. Since the scheme, there has been a significant increase in interest from schools, in working creatively with archive documents," said Elizabeth Hughes.

The programme has also enabled the Record Office to establish productive relationships with East Sussex County Council’s Looked After Children’s Services, and two further projects have been set up as a result.

For more detailed information on the East Sussex Imagined Lives project please visit the case study section on the MLA research website.