Black young people’s perspectives on friendships with looked after children : a thematic analysis.

Abstract Background: A growing concern within the looked after community is that there is an over-representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic young people in the care system; the largest group being children from Black and mixed heritage backgrounds. Aim: The purpose of this research is to contribute to our understanding of the processes involved in peer support development for Looked After Children (LAC) from minority communities Method: The study gathered information through face-to-face multi-method, interviews informed by a topic guide. The sample comprised of eight young people, both male and female, with their ages ranged from 11- 16 (mean age = 12.88). Results: The three main themes emerged from the data were: learning about each other, levels of closeness, and a sense of belonging. It also found young people from back and dual heritage background hold fairly realist views of LAC by believing they feel sad, experience stigma, struggle with building trusting relationships but should be treated no differently to others. Discussion: This research has also highlighted the potential process used to inform their inclusive nature towards LAC and how this may be related to prosocial qualities and past experiences that are unique to black and dual heritage young people. Conclusion: This research has extended our knowledge on what the views and perceptions black and dual heritage young people have of LAC and can serve as a preliminary base for future studies