Who we are

CASCADE Voices is run in collaboration with Voices From Care Cymru. The group is a research advisory group for care experienced young people. The group develops ideas for research, supports the design of research methods and the dissemination of findings.

The group has previously advised researchers from universities and the third sector across the UK, on health and social care topics.

CASCADE Voices won the 2017 Health and Care Research Wales Public Involvement Achievement Award for the Looked after Children and Education LACE project funded by the Welsh Government. For more information click here : CASCADE Voices win the Health and Care Research Wales 2017 Public Involvement Achievement Award – CASCADE (cascadewales.org)

Training in research methods and group facilitation are provided by CASCADE researchers and the group is supported by Voices from Care. The group meets every two months.

You can watch a short video of the group, produced by the Care Council for Wales.

How does CASCADE Voices make a difference?

To the research:

  • Improving information letters to children and young people
  • Suggesting methods for gathering data
  • Suggesting questions that researchers should ask
  • Informing on ethical issues in research projects
  • Setting research questions and topics
  • Discussing research themes
  • Developing creative dissemination materials including posters, videos and blogs
  • Members of CASCADE Voices have also been given opportunities to become peer researchers. Learn more here: We speak the same language – CASCADE (cascadewales.org)

To the researchers:

“I found the advice and help really excellent, and I am very happy that the feedback we have been given will greatly improve our research.” 

“It reinforced to me just how important it is to listen to young people and as a researcher to shine a light on the need for the changes that they feel could really make a difference to them.”

“Some absolutely fantastic insights.”

To the young people who are members of our group:

“I like learning about research and about different things happening across Wales.” ​

“I like meeting new people and it’s helped me grow in confidence” ​

“I enjoy it and I like how we get to see what happens with the research and information we provide.” ​

To us as a research centre:

“We have always placed involving children and parents with direct experience of children’s social care at the heart of what we do. They provide a deep understanding of the nature of issues in children’s social care that enriches the work we do.”

References:

Below is a snapshot of some of the research which has been influenced by the group, and some ways in which the impact of the group has been described in books.

The group advised on the design of the following research projects:

  • Stabler, L., et al. (2023). ‘I probably wouldn’t want to talk about anything too personal’: A qualitative exploration of how issues of privacy, confidentiality and surveillance in the home impact on access and engagement with online services and spaces for care-experienced young people. Adoption & Fostering, 47(3), 277-294. https://doi.org/10.1177/03085759231203019
  • Corliss, C. (2023). Selfies, Snapchat and keeping safe: Impressions of social media and cyberbullying from looked after children and young people with care experience in Wales. Adoption & Fostering, 47(3), 262-276. https://doi.org/10.1177/03085759231204060
  • The group’s impact is described in the following books:
  • The book: Doing Qualitative Research in Social Work, by Ian Shaw and Sally Holland (Sage, 2014, p.91)
  • Staples, E.et al. 2019. Enabling care-experienced young people’s participation in research: CASCADE Voices. In: Mannay, D., Rees, A. and Roberts, L. eds. ‘Children and Young People ‘Looked After’? Education, Intervention and the Everyday Culture of Care in Wales.’ Cardiff: University of Wales Press
  • Keep up to date on our work by checking out our blog!
  • The link is here: Public involvement blogs

Contact us

To enquire about our groups, costs and services as a member of the public, charity or researcher, please contact: Cascadeinvolvement@cardiff.ac.uk

Find us on Twitter: @VoicesFromCare and @CASCADEresearch

Our Involvement work is based on the definitions, principles and guidance in the Public Involvement Standards developed by Health Care Research Wales. For further information, please follow this link: https://healthandcareresearchwales.org/public-help-research/uk-standards-public-involvement