2023 is set to be a big year for the Find & Connect web resource. The website changes we’ve been working on for so long will go live this year, making it easier for people to find information relevant to them. Older content is being reviewed to make sure it meets with our current policies on language use. Our ongoing work to update the information we provide on homes and institutions continues, informed by research and with the input of people who experienced the welfare system.

As we enter the new year focussed both on building on the information we provide and making it easier and more intuitive to access, we’re also looking back at the input people who spent time in care have had into the website. Wherever possible, we’ve provided a unique history of homes and institutions by highlighting the voices of those who lived and worked around and within them. The following posts are just some of those that are written entirely by those who were in care, or examples of how we can more accurately represent life in care with the input of those who experienced it.

If you’re interested in being more involved in the evolution of the website, keep an eye out here! We’ll be looking for site testers soon.