A series of permanent artworks and a community garden have been unveiled to celebrate the work of Barking and Dagenham Council’s Specialist Intervention Service.

The artworks, co-commissioned with Create London and The White house, created by local children and young people, their foster carers, and artists Aislinn Evans, Elsa James, Joe Namy and Sarina Mantle, will adorn the walls of Mayesbrook House, Markyate Road, Dagenham, where the social care service is based. Plus, a new community garden, created by art collective Blak Outside, will provide a welcome green space for therapeutic work with families, children and young people.

Both the artwork and community garden are examples of how creative work enables innovative ways of enhancing social care services to support children, young people and families. It supports contact work, therapeutic work, direct work, relationship building, and supports children and young people at ‘edge of care’.

Launched in 2020, the council’s Specialist Intervention Service works with children and their families by delivering targeted interventions of support to complement social work. The works were commissioned by the council’s New Town Culture programme as a way of using cultural and artistic activity to improve social care services. 

Councillor Saima Ashraf, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Community Leadership and Engagement, said: “We’re so pleased to see these works of art come to life at Mayesbrook House, along with a fantastic community garden for families, children and young people to enjoy and benefit from.

This collaboration with our New Town Culture programme is a shining example of how we can bring in new ways to improve residents’ lives through brilliant art and culture projects.

Since launching in 2018, New Town Culture has delivered an ambitious programme of workshops, clubs, exhibitions, live performances and mentoring to more than 700 children and young people work with Children’s Care and Support Services.