Children Caring on the Move (CCoM), 2019-2023

The Children Caring on the Move project has generated knowledge that both analyses and provides ways to address one of the greatest global challenges of our time: the care and well-being of children affected by transnational displacement and migration. This project offers insights into the care of unaccompanied migrant young people in England, starting from the premise that care is not necessarily limited to that provided by an adult or the state. Little is known about separated children’s care for each other as they navigate contradictory, complex, and changeable immigration and welfare systems. Nor has it been well understood how separated children’s care for each other is understood and treated by relevant adult stakeholder. We carried out a total of 75 interviews with 38 unaccompanied young people in two major cities. The interviews were led by a group of Young Researchers who were trained by the university research team with participatory and interview methods. For each interview the Young Research was accompanied by a member of the university research team. Each young person was invited to 2-3 interviews over a 6-12 month period. These included (i) object-based interviews where participants were asked to bring an object that represents care; (ii) photo elicitation focused on a ‘day in the life’ of the participant; and (iii) walking interviews to see places of (un)caring. We conducted 63 semi-structured interviews with adult participants about their understandings practices of and perspectives on care. They include Project Coordinators (in Education/Charity), Project Managers (in Education/Charity, State Social Work, Arts in Charity, NGO sectors) and ‘Direct workers’ (e.g., Charity advocates, state and independent social workers, foster carers, educators, paediatricians and educators), mental health/therapy (working in NGO settings), interpreters, immigration lawyers and border force. A further series of interviews focused on (semi-)independent accommodation: 15 interviews with company directors or managers. For ethical reasons, some transcripts were redacted from this data collection.