The Children’s Commissioner’s Care Experienced Advisory Board have created a hierarchy of needs based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It is a visual guide to help professionals working with care experienced young people understand their needs and support them.
The different levels of the pyramid consider the basic requirements that care experienced young people need to live, to feel safe, to feel a sense of belonging confident and self-fulfilled, enabling them to access and participate in any experience.
If you look back at what you’ve achieved and you’re happy with it, I think that’s the kind of stage of fulfilment. If I look back in 30 years, I’ll be like, yeah, I did that and I’m proud of it. I think at that point I’ll feel self-fulfilled and feel like all my needs have been met and I’ve been able to make the most of life and I’ve made a difference.”
The bottom of the hierarchy starts with the most basic needs. The basic foundations are minimum requirements. It is useful to understand each level to best support the young people you are working with.
Particular needs will be different for different individuals. It is important to talk to, and support, each young person to explore what the top of the pyramid looks like for them and how to unlock their full potential. Reaching the top requires feeling like you have everything you need and that you are able to achieve the things that you want to achieve and are happy in yourself.
Download the hierarchy of needs for care experienced young people here.
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