{"id":81,"date":"2026-10-06T12:34:02","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T11:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/glowblogs\/enquire\/?p=81"},"modified":"2026-10-06T13:00:34","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T12:00:34","slug":"supporting-care-experienced-learners-and-why-language-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/glowblogs\/enquire\/2026\/10\/06\/supporting-care-experienced-learners-and-why-language-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Language matters – Supporting care experienced learners"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last year, Enquire launched Navigate – an online hub for those supporting care experienced children and young people.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>One year on <\/span>we reflect on the power of language<\/span>\u00a0when talking\u00a0<\/span>about c<\/span>are experienced young people<\/span>, and how<\/span>\u00a0learning from the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Each and Every Child<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>initiative has strengthened our approach<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n

At Enquire,\u00a0<\/span>we are<\/span>\u00a0committed to communicating and championing the rights of children and young people in education. Whether we are responding on the helpline, sharing information on social\u00a0<\/span>media<\/span>\u00a0or creating resources, our everyday conversations are a constant reminder of\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>central<\/span>\u00a0role<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>language plays when we are talking about children\u2019s rights to\u00a0<\/span>additional<\/span>\u00a0support for learning. In the jargon-filled world of \u2018ASL<\/span>\u2019,<\/span> there\u2019s hope in our collective care and examination of how the words we use reflect our values as a service.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This\u00a0<\/span><\/span>blog is itself an exercise in language.\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0written in the context of support for learning where\u00a0<\/span>additional<\/span>\u00a0support needs can apply in a range of scenarios related to lifelong neurodevelopmental conditions, disability, health\u00a0<\/span>needs<\/span>\u00a0and care experience as well as\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>changes in family circumstances,\u00a0<\/span>bereavement<\/span>\u00a0or interrupted learning<\/span><\/span><\/span>. Within just a few phrases,\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0already easy to discern language barriers between communities defined by ‘need’ within a service system that speaks its own coded language.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Amid the lingo, the question becomes how do you present a pluralistic picture of\u00a0<\/span>additional<\/span>\u00a0support for learning that actively promotes inclusion and considers children’s school experiences from a human perspective?\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Promoting positive language choices<\/strong><\/p>\n

Each and Every Child <\/span><\/span><\/a>responds to the views of children and young people shared in The Care Review – and acted on in The Promise – that say the\u00a0<\/span>systematic language used<\/span>\u00a0to describe care and care experience\u00a0<\/span>can be<\/span>stigmatising and compounds a sense of difference<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Language is one of the core considerations for\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Navigate<\/span><\/span><\/a>, our resource for supporting adults around children with care experience at school. Funded by the Keep the Promise Fund and shaped through conversations with\u00a0<\/span>young people, families and partners,\u00a0<\/span>Navigate flips the narrative on care experience.\u00a0<\/span>School is a challenging stage of development for all children.\u00a0<\/span>Following the Each and Every Child model,\u00a0<\/span>Navigate<\/span>\u00a0actively shifts the language away from divisive words and phrases that unconsciously<\/span>\u00a0place<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>blame<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0towards<\/span> lanuage that promotes a shared and empathetic understanding of what it\u2019s like to be at\u00a0<\/span>school<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and have experience of care. Professionals are guided to do this through different tool types such as\u00a0<\/span><\/span>myth-busting the language of school attendance<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>top tips for using languag<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>e to create an inclusive school environment.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Supporting real change<\/strong><\/p>\n

September mark<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0one year since the launch of Navigate, and so the learning from Each and Every Child provides us with some\u00a0<\/span>timely<\/span>\u00a0pause for thought. If we want to improve educational outcomes for children with care experience, we must address stigma and discrimination head-on. Navigate does that by equipping professionals not only with the advice, but with the language for starting conversations about children\u2019s support at school.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>We have a<\/span>\u00a0new page\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u2018Let\u2019s talk attendance\u2019<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>to de-bunk some of\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>language<\/span>\u00a0on this subject and to consider the context for the children being described. There are a couple of\u00a0<\/span>new videos<\/span>\u00a0in the mix, and we are adding to\u00a0<\/span>our<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>draft emails<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0for requests for school support.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mostly,<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>this\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>past\u00a0<\/span><\/span>month saw<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0us renewing our commitment to language\u00a0<\/span>facilitated<\/span>\u00a0by the heart-felt and effective training delivered by Each and Every Child. As individuals in the children\u2019s sector, we can educate ourselves; we can listen and amplify the voices of children and young people and promote positive action in the professionals delivering the best possible support. It is this care and curiosity about the people in the language and the words we use to bring about positive outcomes for children in education that emphasises the power we all have as communicators.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Visit Navigate,\u00a0<\/span>Enquire\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0online hub for those supporting young people with care experience in their educational journey<\/span><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Find out more<\/span><\/span><\/span> about the Each and Every Child initiative: https:\/\/eachandeverychild.co.uk\/<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

*This is an edited version of\u00a0 the blog ‘Talking up care experience’ which first appeared on the Enquire website on 30 September 2026. Read in f<\/span>ull, and other news and blogs from the Enquire service at\u00a0<\/span><\/span>https:\/\/enquire.org.uk\/news\/<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last year, Enquire launched Navigate – an online hub for those supporting care experienced children and young people.\u00a0One year on we reflect on the power of language\u00a0when talking\u00a0about care experienced young people, and how\u00a0learning from the\u00a0Each and Every Child\u00a0initiative has strengthened our approach At Enquire,\u00a0we are\u00a0committed to communicating and championing the rights of children and … Continue reading Language matters – Supporting care experienced learners<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88457,"featured_media":82,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,17],"tags":[5,4,3,21,6,7],"class_list":["post-81","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-additional-support-for-learning","category-care-experience","tag-additionalsupport","tag-asl","tag-asn","tag-care-experience","tag-supportforlearning","tag-supportinschool"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/glowblogs\/enquire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/glowblogs\/enquire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/glowblogs\/enquire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/glowblogs\/enquire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88457"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/glowblogs\/enquire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/glowblogs\/enquire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/glowblogs\/enquire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81\/revisions\/87"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/glowblogs\/enquire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/glowblogs\/enquire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/glowblogs\/enquire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/glowblogs\/enquire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}