Many children in care face significant trauma and abuse prior to coming into care. With funding from the ALMT, Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University (HCU) are employing an art therapist to work with these children at the earliest possible stage to give them the best chance of recovering and achieving better long-term outcomes.

There is no designated mental health support provided for a child when they enter the looked after system. Indeed once a child enters the care system, long term health, education and social outcomes are extremely poor with high rates of teenage pregnancy, smoking and substance misuse, mental health problems, high school drop-out rates, poor educational attainment and high levels of criminality.

For the past 10 years HCU has run a primary school, reading programme for children in care across the region. The staff team has seen first-hand the need for therapeutic intervention. Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses art as a medium to address emotional issues which may be confusing and distressing. For children who have experienced abuse, it is one way to “tell without talking’ when children are afraid to speak about events or feelings.

This pilot project aims to provide art therapy for 20-24 children during the course of the year, with each child receiving an average of 15 weeks of therapeutic support. During the course of the programme they will achieve improved mental health, social skills, self esteem and better coping skills.