Title: Journeys of Resilience? Aimhigher and the Experiences of Young People Looked After and in Alternative Education

Title: Journeys of resilience? Aimhigher and the experiences of young people looked after and in alternative education Name: Maria Kukhareva This is a digitised version of a dissertation submitted to the University of Bedfordshire. It is available to view only. This item is subject to copyright. JOURNEYS OF RESILIENCE? AIMHIGHER AND THE EXPERIENCES OF YOUNG PEOPLE LOOKED AFTER AND IN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION Maria Kukhareva D. Prof. 2013 UNIVERSITY OF BEDFORDSHIRE JOURNEYS OF RESILIENCE? AIMHIGHER AND THE EXPERIENCES OF YOUNG PEOPLE LOOKED AFTER AND IN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION by MARIA KUKHAREVA A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Professional Doctorate May 2013 Abstract The study explores the impact of Aimhigher activity on the lives of young people looked after and in alternative education. In the background of the mixed messages around the effectiveness of the Aimhigher initiative and its closure of the latter in 2011, it is argued that Aimhigher did, in fact, play a very positive role in the young people’s lives. In view of recent messages that a similar initiative may be under way, it is necessary to understand, and make use of Aimhigher legacy, including critique and best practice. The remit of the scheme was mainly associated with improving social justice through increasing the participation of disadvantaged groups in higher education. However, due to ineffective targeting strategies and flawed monitoring mechanisms, it was not possible to establish a link between heavily funded Aimhigher activity and widening participation trends. Additionally, there was a general scarcity of research literature available on the issues related to Aimhigher and its effectiveness. At the same time, documents produced by Aimhigher partnerships feature positive accounts of pupils and teaching staff. Connections have also been made between Aimhigher activity and potential transformations in the young peoples’ attitudes and behaviour. There is also a small body of literature that highlights the importance of exploring the unexpected and the unintended outcomes of any project. It is argued that an in- depth exploration of individual experiences is needed in order to understand whether Aimhigher had a positive effect on its participants. The exploration is carried out using the resilience framework, which allows the researcher to examine the changes in the young people’s lives over time. Therefore, the Aimhigher experience is understood as a part of the participants’ life trajectories, which are constructed of the young people’s interactions with iii their environment. Grounding this investigation within literature on resilience and its applications is particularly useful, as there has been an increase in the practitioners’ interest in operationalising the resilience framework. The understanding of the resilience-building mechanisms can be utilised in the design of current and future interventions for those disadvantaged and vulnerable, thus contributing to the strength-based discourse around vulnerability and risk. Interviews were carried out with nineteen young people who were looked after or in alternative education at the time of their Aimhigher participation. In addition, nine professionals from gate keeping organisations were interviewed, all of whom had knowledge of the initiative and the young people. The findings reveal that taking part in Aimhigher activity can act as a protective factor in a young person’s development, thus enhancing their resilient patterns. For several participants Aimhigher acted as an important turning point in their life. However, as resilience is understood as a dynamic complex interaction across several domains, it is the cumulative effect of factors that is crucial. The participants who seemed to be navigating their environments most effectively had the most exposure to developmental opportunities and access to support networks. The study also highlights wider issues around practice and policy on vulnerable young people. iv Acknowledgements My thanks and very best wishes go out, firstly, to the young people who agreed to take part in this study and shared their stories with me, and, consequently, with the readers of this thesis. Their experiences are truly a remarkable example of how resilient children can be despite adversity. I wish them and people close to them all the best in life. For reasons of confidentiality they will remain anonymous but their contribution must not be underestimated. I also extend the gratitude to all the professionals who work with these young people and who were supportive of this project, despite the changing environment around them, public sector cuts and heavy workloads. It is reassuring and humbling to see the dedicated teachers, social workers, administrators and other professionals fully devoted to the young people and their wellbeing. I would like to express my appreciation to my supervisors, Doctor Isabelle Brodie and Professor Margaret Melrose, for providing invaluable support and guidance to me throughout the process and being very generous with their time; Professor David Barrett and Stephen Kendall, both of University of Bedfordshire, for believing in me and being instrumental in my embarking on this journey. My friends and family have been extremely helpful and understanding and I would like to acknowledge their contribution. My friends Ina Ivanova, David Synnott and Tatyana Demicheva helped me stay grounded and keep things in perspective. I also thank my husband Kevin Cordwell, for his encouragement and understanding. Maria Kukhareva May 2013 v Contents Abstract iii Acknowledgements v Contents vi List of figures x List of abbreviations xii Note regarding anonymity and confidentiality xiv Author’s declaration xv Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Aimhigher initiative 4 Young people looked after and educated outside 7 mainstream education system The resilience framework 12 Research questions and aims of the study 15 Chapter 2 Theoretical approach 19 Introduction 19 Understanding resilience 21 Resilience and symbolic interactionism 24 vi Resilience, outcome multifinality and organisational model of development 27 Risk, resilience and vulnerable young people 29 Resilience domains: factors and mechanisms 33 Conclusion 48 Chapter 3 The Aimhigher initiative 51 Introduction 51 Widening participation as a response to the inequality gap in education 53 Aimhigher initiative 56 Targeting and cohort 61 Issues around measuring impact 72 Conclusion 80 Chapter 4 Methodology 83 Introduction 83 Aims and objectives of the study 85 Theoretical considerations 86 Practical considerations 89 Researcher-practitioner duality 89 vii Child-centred approach 91 Research tools 93 Ethical considerations 95 Gaining access to the target groups 97 The sample 98 Data collection 99 The interviews 101 Data Analysis 103 Conclusion 112 Chapter 5 Participants of the study 114 Introduction 114 Characteristics of the young people 115 Taking part in Aimhigher activity 128 Professionals interviewed 137 Conclusion 139 Chapter 6 Changes and challenges 142 Introduction 142 Young people’s perceptions of themselves 144 Change as a journey 150 viii Transitions through care 153 Transitions through education 162 Transitions through relationships 172 Emotional journeys 178 Conclusion 183 Chapter 7 The participants’ experiences of Aimhigher 186 Introduction 186 Young people’s memories of Aimhigher activity 187 “If it wasn’t for Aimhigher…” 190 Aimhigher impact: a bigger change 195 Mechanisms of Aimhigher interventions 200 Aimhigher in the multi-agency context 209 Conclusion 217 Chapter 8 Journeys of resilience 220 Introduction 220 Internal journeys of resilience 222 Risk and protective factors: clusters and chain reactions 230 Support networks 233 Opportunities 239 ix Subjectivity of risk and protection 243 Chain reactions and turning points 244 Conclusion 252 Chapter 9 Conclusion 255 Journeys of resilience 256 Aimhigher experience 260 Messages for practice and policy 264 “Everybody’s business” (CAMHS, 2008) 273 Appendices 275 Appendix 1. Life trajectory maps 275 Appendix 2. The interview schedule template 295 Appendix 3. Types of data used for the study 299 Appendix 4. Word frequencies 300 References 302 x List of figures Figure Page Number Chapter 2 Figure 2:1 Protective factors across three resilience domains 35 (adapted from Benzies and Mychasiuk, 2008 and Research in Practice, 2009) Chapter 5 Figure 5:1 Characteristics of the young people 118 Figure 5:2 Average ethnicity disproportionality index (Owen and 121 Statham, 2009, p.25) Figure 5:3 Characteristics of permanently excluded pupils in 122 England 2009-2010 (DfE, 2012, p. 32) Figure 5:4 Participants’ journey through education 126 Figure 5:6 Aimhigher activities accessed by the participants of the 131 study Figure 5:7 Participation in Aimhigher activity 134 Figure 5:8 Professionals interviewed for the study 138 Chapter 6 xi Figure 6:1 Young people’s descriptions of themselves before 145 Aimhigher experience and around the time of interview Figure 6:2 Young people’s descriptions of past self: infographic 148 representation of word frequencies Figure 6:3 Young people’s descriptions of current self: infographic 148 representation of word frequencies Figure 6:4 Average scores of resilience domains (past and present) 150 Figure 6:5 Details of the young people’s transitions through care 154 Figure 6:6 Details of the young people’s movements through the 165 education system Chapter 8 Figure 8:1 Supportive

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