If I… ? The things we want you to know but can’t find the ways to tell you

If I…? was an action research project set up to tackle unacceptably low levels of educational participation and achievement amongst young people living in care in the UK (residential, fostering and adoption). One young group of a care experienced youth aged 13-15 were asked to advise their secondary school on its behaviour management policy. The group suggested that their behaviour should be understood and responded to with care – not managed. They produced If I…? a powerful resource sharing stories about their lives and making recommendations for changes all the staff in their school could make tomorrow at no financial cost. The resource was presented to ‘care’ professionals at a regional conference, and used to train staff in  250 schools across the region.