A Critical ExpIoration: The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on Children and Young People Cared for by the State.

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Despite being just over 30 years since the implementation of the 1989 Children's Act, it is welldocumented that Looked After Children (LAC's) are still not faring as well as their non Looked After peers,with only (according to government figures) 6% of Care-Leavers seeking higher education at university.The future it seems, for this demographic is still looking bleak. However, drawing upon my own livedexperience of the care system, interviews with eare-leavers, and using theoretical framework such asPost Traumatic Growth Theory and Self Determination theory to support findings, this research projectcritically explores the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's), considering notions of resiliencewithin this demographic. The research will deconstruct current negative narratives surrounding LAC's andthose care-experienced by focussing on positive practice in the public / private and voluntary sector. Theresearch will also explore what it means to be 'successful' in order to explore those care-experiencedwho consider themselves as leading fulfilling lives with aspirations and a desire to achieve despite theirlevels of ACE's suggesting otherwise. Finally a concluding statement will attempt to suggest that moreattention should perhaps be paid by policy makers, professionals and practitioners alike, to 'supportingfactors' which enable this seemingly silent minority to succeed in life, celebrating those successes withinmainstream/academic media, whilst implementing more supporting factors within practice. This researchaims to lend itself well to young people in the care system who may feel there is no hope for achievingtheir aspirations to start thinking otherwise.