KIDS

EXPECTATION ENTERTAINMENT FOR CHANNEL 4 (2023)

KIDS is a 3 part 60’ documentary series for Channel 4 with unprecedented access to young people in the care of Coventry Children's Services. With the number of young people in care set to reach a record 100 000 in the next decade, and increased pressure on the system and staff, there’s never been a more important moment to tell these stories.

Until now, legal restrictions and risks mean young people in care are rarely seen or heard. Packed with drama and humour, the series gets up close and personal with six remarkable teenagers - and their families – in Coventry, as they enter a crucial year in their lives and prepare to leave the care system. For the first time, they invite an audience into their world to reveal the unflinching reality of how they entered care and how those experiences are carried with them today.

REVIEWS

“I tuned in reluctantly, expecting it to be depressing and bleak. Yet the Bafta-winning Wivell has found hope in every case, as well as sadness, building a rapport with his subjects and handling their stories with care. He offers no judgment, only understanding.”
5/5, Anita Singh, The Telegraph

"Kids Review – a startling, unprecedented look at children in care. Paddy Wivell’s documentary about families rebuilding relationships does away with formality, wins its subjects’ trust and finds shocking moments – plus plenty of hope"
5/5, The Guardian

“Paddy Wivell’s documentary series affords a glimpse into a rarely seen world and the very difficult job that (often demonised) social workers have to do, in this case at Coventry social services. It was a heavy watch, but an important one.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

Photographer: Richard Ansett