Conclusion: Managing Memory in the Care System Today

Abstract

In chapter eight a critical gaze is brought to bear on today’s care system and how the memory of children living in and leaving care is managed. This is done by firstly outlining what we have learnt from the past, from the participants of my research, moving on to introduce the context of the care system today. For example, the idea of life story work is explored. ‘Managing memory in the care system today’ calls for an understanding of how memory is managed by social services and offers new understandings of memory that social policy may want to consider. The concluding argument presented in this chapter is that those with care experience live their lives, construct their memories and form their identities from the autobiographical, cultural and absent memories present in their everyday lives.