Saying Goodbye: What happens at the end of the AllChild programme

For a lot of children we work with, the end of the school year in July brings with it the end of their time on the AllChild programme.

We work with children and young people for two years, and so this ending can often be a significant one, both for children and for the link workers with whom they’ve formed a trusted relationship.

For this reason, the ending of the programme is something we put a lot of thought into - as much planning and consideration goes into this stage as goes into the core support over the six terms. 

How do Link Workers create good endings?

Link Workers will start thinking about and planning endings for their cohort weeks, even months before the end of term. Crucially, this represents a significant ending for them too, and they are trained to consider their own feelings and responses to endings, to ensure they’re equipped to provide the best experience for their young people. 

Link Workers know that their young people need the chance to say goodbye, and need to know why the ending is happening, and that it is nothing to do with anything they have done. They ensure the child has the opportunity to reflect on their feelings about the ending, and to recognise the often complicated emotions the ending might bring up.

Link Workers will usually incorporate some reflection about the programme, and a celebration or event to signify the transition. They will then make sure children and families have access to support inside or outside the school.

One primary LW said this year, she created an AllChild map of the children’s experiences on the programme to look over, and included prompt questions such as what was I like when I started? What have I done? What did I enjoy? What am I like now? What do I want to take forward? She followed that up with a session in which she read a letter she had written to them to say goodbye. And finally, she organised an after school assembly celebration with children and parents from the programme, at which she gave each child a certificate and a small gift, and children had the opportunity to express their thoughts of the two year journey. A final message to parents included an info pack on organisations and opportunities in the borough.

Similarly a Link Worker in a secondary setting ensured she had 1:1 sessions with each of her cohort “where we reflected on the programme, the skills they’ve learnt and where I feel like they have developed. We’ve reflected on memories of the programme, challenges they have been through and how they’ve overcome them. I’ve also asked them to think about what they have learned from their time on the programme.” Celebration events she organised included rock climbing and a picnic, as well as an event with parents to hand out certificates and small gifts. She also made sure she reminded her cohort of what next year might look like now the programme is over.

Students in Year 6 who are finishing their time with AllChild are also finishing their time at primary school as a whole, and their ending will include recognising this wider transition, for example by looking ahead to what their Year 7 experience might look like, and allowing space for them to notice their feelings about these upcoming changes. 

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Why is the ending of the programme so important?

Young people on the AllChild programme work on their social, emotional and academic goals with the support of their link worker for two years. Delivery partners range from child counselling to arts and crafts sessions, and are chosen based on children’s needs to help them progress. And underpinning everything is the trusted relationship the child forms with their link worker. For some children, the end of this relationship and this extra support can be daunting. 

Endings can be something many of us struggle with, and for many of the young people we work with, they can be particularly difficult. Perhaps endings remind them of earlier losses, or perhaps they have the potential to make some children feel as if they’re being rejected or as if they’ve driven someone away. Research shows that poorly managed endings are associated with sadness, disappointment, anger, confusion and rejection in young people, who showed less willingness to engage with similar offerings in the future*.

Conversely, endings which are managed well give our young people the chance to experience a ‘healthy’ ending, something they are more likely to be able to replicate in future. A good ending will allow a child to internalise the relationship they’ve had with the programme and with their link worker, so they can still benefit from all they’ve learnt and been through together even as they experience the loss. 

It’s clear then that a well-managed ending is crucial for our young people to fully benefit from the previous two years. 

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New beginnings

Endings represent new beginnings, and the work young people do on the two-year Impact Programme is designed to leave them better equipped - socially, emotionally and academically - to meet the challenges and make the most of the opportunities that will face them after their Impact programme ends. Though goodbyes are sad times, we at AllChild are always excited and proud to see how the incredible young people we work with go on to flourish in their next steps. 

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*(from Zilberstein and Spencer, 2014). 

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