UCLan social work experts to evaluate effectiveness of project
Newly launched children’s residential project We Are Juno CIC has partnered up with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) as it builds its teams and service – with its first home due to open in late 2022/early 2023.
Following on its recent investments from Wirral Council, The National Lottery Fund, KPMG Foundation and Segelman Trust, We Are Juno CIC has now announced UCLan as its appointed Evaluation Partner.
Lowis Charfe, Senior Lecturer for the MA in Social Pedagogy Leadership, and Professor Cath Larkins, Co-Director of the Centre for Children and Young People’s Participation, both from UCLan, will work alongside Juno’s Young Leaders and the staff team to evaluate the effectiveness of the project in its first year.
Lowis and Cath are committed to supporting positive changes in care experienced children and young people’s lives and bring a great deal of skill, care, imagination and experience.
In addition to appointing its evaluation partner, Juno has recently appointed a new Director of Care to help lead and shape its homes, together with the support of Juno founders – public services redesign agency, Capacity. Now, Juno is looking to bring more great people into its team who are passionate about redefining better children’s care for the future.
"We believe we are starting to build something truly special with the work we are doing for We Are Juno CIC ..."
— Sophie Clarke, Children’s Director at Capacity
Sophie Clarke, Children’s Director at Capacity, said “We’re deeply committed to creating a new and incredible service for young people growing up in children’s homes in Liverpool City Region. Of course, it’s no surprise (especially after the news of the recent care review) that how we deliver care for our most vulnerable young people and children locally and across the nation is in the need of a desperate shake up. We believe we are starting to build something truly special with the work we are doing for We Are Juno CIC and to keep this momentum up, we need great people on our team.
“We’re delighted to have partnered with UCLan and we look forward to building the rest of the team. We can’t stress enough that we don’t want this just to be ‘fresh-look’ masking an old hat approach. We want to be different, challenge ourselves and make the biggest difference we can, listening closely to what young people are telling us most needs to change. If there are people out there who want to be part of this movement and campaign for real change, then we want them as part of the Juno team!”
"We are excited to see how the innovative approach Juno is taking of using social pedagogy to underpin residential care and their commitment to children's participation, will support the children and young people they care for ..."
— Lowis Charfe, from the School of Social Work, Care and Community at UCLan
Lowis Charfe, from the School of Social Work, Care and Community at UCLan, said: "We are really pleased to be partnering up with the Juno team and utilising our expertise and vast experience of children's participation and social pedagogy to working alongside care experienced young people to co-create the evaluation of their project.
“We are excited to see how the innovative approach Juno is taking of using social pedagogy to underpin residential care and their commitment to children's participation, will support the children and young people they care for and their staff team, to flourish.”
Juno is now on the lookout for:
- A Registered Manager, to manage and develop their first home in the Wirral.
- A diverse team of caring people who will enrich the lives of the young people they are supporting every day.
- A team of Young Leaders- care experienced young people who will voice and shape the development of all of Juno’s homes, making sure that the care model really works for those who need it most – children and young people.
Over the next five years, Juno plans to open ten local homes for children, starting with its first home in Wirral to open in late 2022/early 2023. To find out more and see its latest opportunities, visit the Juno website.