Binks Hub co-director Autumn Roesch-Marsh and Professor Ruth Emond, of the University of Edinburgh and University of Stirling respectively, have been working with the Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum (Staf) on researching friendship and care experience. The aim of the study is to find better ways of supporting the friendships of people with care experience.
Dr Autumn Roesch-Marsh has been working on the ESRC Impact funded project Transforming Friendship Focused Support since September 2025. This project is working co-creatively with care experienced people and Staf to explore experiences of friendship and develop materials and resources that will be of use to practitioners in Scotland and beyond.
Most people value friendship in their lives, and find comfort, support and happiness in these relationships. However, the Independent Care Review in Scotland found that not enough was always done to support the friendships of people with care experience. This research aims to help everyone in the ‘care system’ better understand the importance of these relationships and provide practical strategies and ideas to support them effectively.
This work builds on Roesch-Marsh and Emond’s previous work (2020, 2021) which showed that although friendship is important for happiness and linked to positive transitions out of care, social workers and carers struggle to identify the best ways to support friendship both on and off-line. The project has worked with 6 care experienced co-researchers and a group of throughcare workers selected by them, to develop research questions related to friendship. Co-researchers are being supported to carry out a piece of inquiry into friendship that interests them. Topics include friendship in relation to: trauma; rules in care settings; care experienced parents; ADHD; and friendship for care experienced people at university and college.
Through in person and online meetings the group have been developing a research community of practice, sharing findings and learning together about the barriers and enablers to friendship in care settings and developing knowledge of their chosen topic or issue. The research has been focused on the following:
The study is funded by an Impact grant from Economic and Social Research Council with additional in-kind support provided by Staf.
You can find a recent presentation to The Promise Community of practice here:
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