Looked After: A Childhood in Care

'What really happens when you grow up in care? In a system that often doesn't seem to care? In Looked After, I've tried to explain what it feels like to be in care from the age of two and to have five different placements before the age of 18. To be part of a family but not be family.'

Ashley John-Baptiste grew up in the British care system, living with five different families during that time without ever being truly part of a family.

It wasn't easy, or straightforward, and Ashley's ever-changing living situation affected every single part of his life - from his education to his sense of identity to his friendships and his hobbies. And yet, throughout everything his childhood in care threw at him, Ashley remained resilient and found a way to take advantage of the opportunities that came his way.

Now Ashley feels able to tell us - vividly and movingly - how, when it felt like the world was turning its back on him, he refused to be an outsider in his own home and set about establishing a new and positive life for himself.

Looked After is a memoir written from the heart that pulls no punches but demonstrates that given encouragement and love - and, sometimes, a second chance - a care-experienced boy can become a successful broadcaster, a loving husband and a proud father.