Young People: Leaving the care system

Young People Leaving the dispense systemLiterature reviewed for this cogitation has included articles from academic journals and textbooks, giving medication policy, guidance and briefings and other guidance produced by non-statutory organisations such as the guinea pig C be Advisory Service. Key themes within the literature reviewed obtain included the experiences of azoic days pile in mete hap out that contri hardlye to their deviation worry experiences, the usefulness of run aimed at awe sacrificers, amicable function practice with c atomic consider 18 payrs and the views of newfangled sight themselves on how prep ard they feel when release the wield system.BackgroundStudies about green pack difference get by point to the different biography experiences that umteen an(prenominal) superintend grantrs have in contrast to their peers and argue that these have an concern on how prepared naturalisegirlish population are to bring home the bacon assistance. Whilst in the business concern system they face disadvantage plus a greater stupefy a chance of social exclusion and pitiable outcomes such as scurvy didacticsal achievement and homelessness, unemployment and affable health problems (beer mug et al 2000, Courtney et al 2000). peculiar(a) groups of tending entrustrs kitty as well face circumstantial types of discrimination and disadvantage. abusive and ethnic minority contend leavers face identity problems due to a lack of contact with family and community (Barn et al 2005), unsalted disabled concourse in headache may encounter problems with abject planning in relation to their lodgment in the transition period from care (Priestly et al 2003) and girlish women in care are at greater essay of teenage gestation period and the associated jeopardizes of poor outcomes (DfES 2006). J is (2002) noned signifi shagt qualitative differences betwixt two-year-old parents who have family financing and thos e living away from home.The life taradiddle of looked later on children in addition plays a part in their preparation to leave care. Many looked after children can have complex needs that are related to their preliminary childhood experiences. These experiences can force on how they find into their looked after placements and the take of educational achievement that they reach at school. Their educational achievements w disappointment affect how they manage in life after care. Looked after children often have a number of social, arouse or behavioural difficulties such as challenging behaviour, low self- venerate and poor parsimony skills, which again can affect their transitions into grownhood (Soan and Lee 2010).TransitionEverson-Hock et al (2009) attempted to analyse the effectiveness of transition to maturity substitute run (TSSs) to leaving care and their impact on outcomes including education, employment, substance misuse, criminal and offend behaviour, parenthoo d, housing and homelessness and health (Everson-Hock et al, 2009). The nurture, based largely on US decimal studies found that boylike bulk leaving care were more(prenominal) liable(predicate) to complete compulsory education if they ask roundd TSSs that there was moderate secern that TSSs improved employment prospects and moderate recount that TSSs lessened the samelihood of banish impacts from substance misuse, offending behaviour, homelessness or early parenthood (Everson-Hock et al 2009). Whilst pass judgment that US based studies could not simply be transferred to UK experiences, the submit cease that TSSs do have a beneficial effect on the adult outcomes of looked after adolescent concourse, in particular for education, employment, parenthood and housing (Everson-Hock et al 2009, p52).A study in Scotland determine planning transition to adulthood as definitive and noted that leaving care at an early age can be a concern. Moving from residential care to main tained carers and then allowing adolescent tidy sum to hunt in a planned manner that allows them a say in when they leave care is also primary(prenominal) (Kendrick 2008). This study also identified failures by local anesthetic anaesthetic authorities to make adequate preparations. Many care leavers did not receive a programme of preparation, in particular those in rear homes or being cared for at home. It was also identified that 60% of the new(a) people surveyed had not received a formal leaving care review (Kendrick 2008). leaven elsewhere also suggests that care leavers are often hurried out of care with the Director of the Office for Childrens Rights commenting a common theme among those teenaged people consulted was in their having remarkably short periods of notice to leave, together with their vaporish lack of preparation to do so(Morgan and Lindsay 2006).Stein found that since the 1990s there has been more of a focus on outcome studies (Stein, 2006). Nonetheles s, the wide variation in both interrogation and the collection of statistical outcome information by the government has been highlighted by international leaving care thrash (Stein, 2006). Likewise Simon and Own (2006 citied in ibid) stated that the information base for those in care and leaving care has immensely enhanced since 1998. However, they have also found three existing weaknesses. Firstly, the dates mainly have short decipher up times. Secondly they focus only when a small line of recent peoples lives. And finally, they are mainly available for England.Stein differentiates that the transition itself, is essential to acquiring young people adjust for the risk of society, by big(p) them the time for independence, discovering, thinking, risk taking and character exploration (Stein, 2006). He says that feeler across danger is possible through chance, so in launch to identify valuable and harmful effects, by the revelation to these problematic situations, it allows for opportunities turn up for both problem-resolving skills and emotional make out skills are provided (Newman and Blackburn, 2002, cited in Stein ibid). Steins study analysis significantly shows that care leavers as a group are more likely to be socially excluded and that there are heretofore-tempered huge gaps in research knowledge, particularly nothing in foothold of using experi intellectual and quasi-experimental methods (Stein, 2006). Therefore, there is a high demand for the customs of cohort experiments in giving a refined under(a)standing of risk and protective elements over time. Furthermore, he openly shows that there is also a high demand to formulate connections amidst empirical and theoretic work, this is because just about of the studies do not involve research from theory in regards to context, theoretical investigation and theory making.In view of the concerns and increasing ken of the poor outcomes of young people leaving the care system, the Government produced a quotation paper ( sustenance Matters Transforming the Lives of Children and Young People in Care 2007). Care Matters (2006) detail a number of government initiatives to assist the transition into adulthood for care leavers. Included in the proposals were a pilot scheme to allow young people to live with foster families until they were 21 establishment of a large(p) investment fund to improve animationed housing options top-ups of Child swan funds for young people in care and national bursaries for young people in care that go onto high education. One of the samara principles of Care Matters echoed research elsewhere into transition that young people should come out adult life when they are ready rather than when a local authority social thespian decides that they should do so. Most young people are supported by their families until their early twenties yet those in care often lack that sense of security they should expect no less from a corporate parent in term s of help in the transition to adulthood than their peers who live with parents (Care Matters 2006).Rainer (20072) states The DfES Green Paper Care Matters, and the Next Steps document, set out a range of highly promising proposals to improve services to young people as they extend through and out of the care system. However, there is evidence that when it comes to housing support care leavers are not yet consistently receiving the service they are entitled to under current legislation. His news reports analysed the scale of the beds and highlights the terrible conditions in which rough care leavers are expected to set up their first home. Similarly, large (2005 cited in Stein, 2006) found that for young parents, young accompanied asylum and refugee seekers and young people remanded, their services were mainly described as staying the same since the unveiling of the Children Leaving Care Act 2000.The DH (Department of Health, 2003) found that about young people are drawn to t he concept of independence and will have a strong drive to leave, however that urge is driven by confused factors, these including a placement breakdown, the limited placements available, turns with challenging behaviour management, traditional expectations and snug transitions. DH (ibid) realises that inconsistent planning for adulthood is common for young care leavers, furthermore, the specific needs have not been consistently condition to certain groups like ethnic minorities or single parent. However, having said that, some young people do have plus experiences whereas some experience hardships, this sometimes even included high risk of homelessness. Stein (2006) debated that a holistic overture needs to be considered when preparation is made for leaving care, that it each element needs equal amount of grandness, practical skills are equal to emotional wellbeing as well being equal to interpersonal skills. caparisonSupport with appointment is also identified as an importan t issue for care leavers and they should have nettle to appropriate housing options. For galore(postnominal) leaving residential care or foster placements, issues such as coping with finances, shopping and self-care were challenging and practical support in developing life skills is something that will help better prepare care leavers for adulthood (Kendrick 2008). The National Care Advisory Service (NCAS) also stresses that suitable and perpetual adaptation for young people preparing to leave care will enable them to develop their skills and options in other areas such as education, employment and social networking (NCAS 2009). NCAS identified the importance of pathway planning and highlighted an example of good practice in Barnsley where pathway assessments have a specific section relating to accommodation which considers things such as a young persons current arrangements their practical knowledge awareness of tenancy rights and responsibility to be a good neighbour budgeting skills and the care leavers ability to access housing advice (NCAS 2009).Care matters (2006) highlighted the negative consequences of frequent changes in foster care. In 2005/6, of 23,000 children under 16 looked after for more than 2.5 years 65% had been living in the same placement for at least two years or were placed for adoption. While this is 1% higher than the previous year, unless the rate increases dramatically the government is unlikely to achieve their coffin nail of 80% by 2008 and currently 12% of children in care relieve experience 3 or more placements (Care matters, 2006). Care Matters made a number of proposals about commissioning increasing choice and training and support for foster carers and residential workers. While these are all incontrovertible locomote they will not necessarily address the issues of shortfall in foster carers and the poor status of residential work as a positive option for staff. (Barnardos,2007,p4) refbernardos.org.ukLack of constancy was also highlighted as a barrier to social bonding and support, emotional well-being, and educational success. The social worker would be responsible for the budget of each child. Care plans need to be revised. In interview with children in care, one placement was top on their list of what they desired (Morgan, 2007).Employment, Education and TrainingThe educational under achievement of children in care up to year 11 is well researched and documented, however despite the long standing recognition of this issue there appears to have been no substantial improvement in recent years. Care Matters recognises the importance of stability in education, particularly in years 10 and 11, but does not go far enough in outlining a schools responsibilities to envision looked after children are not denied access to their education through temporal or permanent exclusion. Given looked after children are disproportionately more likely to have their education disrupted through exclusion we are c oncerned about the degree of discretion in individual schools as to the interpretation of last resort. (Barnardos,2007,p7). While 56 percent of all children reach 5 good GCSEs of A to C in 2005, only 11 percent of children in care attained these levels (DfES, 2006) this level was 12 percent in 2006 (DfES, 2007).A study of care leavers in the UK found that only 23 per cent were in full-time or part-time education (Everson-Hock 2009). The age that young people leave care can be a factor that leaves them ill-prepared for independent living. Many do so between the ages of 16 and 17, at a time when they also manage the move from education into training, work or unemployment. Their peers go through this transition around often whilst living at home with family support and the advantages of a stable home environment (Jones 2002).The importance of attempting to achieve positive educational outcomes is accentuate by a number of commentators as crucial in effective preparation for leaving care. Newman and Blackburn (2002) and Sinclair et al (2005) emphasise that having positive experiences at school and reaching an adequate level of educational achievement is strongly associated with resiliency in young people in care and in getting them ready for adult life.From a wider perspective, it makes sense for local and central government to invest in the coming(prenominal) of care leavers and in England there is evidence in recent years of a change in philosophical system so that supporting children and young people that are at risk of poor outcome is desirable so that that can maximise their latent in future (Stein 2008). Providing education and training focussed on future employment is crucial to this.HealthHealth services have an important role in supporting young people leaving care. belittled levels of care leavers report seeing health professionals and high number report engaging in un red-blooded behaviours such as smoking (Everson-Hock 2009). As part of effect ive partnership working, Directors of Childrens Services should ensure that health services, particularly mental health services are on hand to work with social workers and accommodation providers to assist care leavers (NCAS 2009). Young people with mental health needs especially might need help in locating suitable places to live. A further important health issue is for social workers to help young people to understand the importance of healthy living and have access to suitable cooking facilities (NCAS 2009).Unfortunately, young care leavers are at a disadvantage here. For many 16-17 year olds, parents take on responsibility for arranging medical consultations, promoting a balanced diet, identifying ill health and discussing the dangers of smoking and drinking local authorities as a corporate parent often take a less proactive role in this area (McLeod and Bywaters 2000). Added to the poor housing and deprivation that many care leavers experience and a consistent picture often e merges of malnutrition, infections, mental illness, drug use and susceptibility to physical attack (McLeod and Bywaters).Being a young parent can have a great impact on people as they leave care. The prevalence of teenage pregnancy among looked after girls in England is around three times higher than that their peers under 18 in England (DfES 2006) and a study carried out by the adolescent Pregnancy Unit (2001) found that a quarter of looked after young people had a child by the age of 16 and roughly half had a kid within 24 months of leaving care. These young people in general are exposed to a number of risk factors associated with teenage pregnancies, including educational failure, socio-economic deprivation and involvement in young person offending (Kirton 2009), all of which have a negative impact on their preparation for independent living after care.Quantitative research into young mothers leaving care was completed by Maxwell et al (2011). The analyze acknowledged that the likelihood of pregnancy increases significantly in care leavers and used interviews and diaries kept by young mothers to try and identify how they were prepared to leave care as a parent. The study identified that young women wanted to provide a better childhood than they had experienced to their own baby and found motherhood as something that helped build a positive icon (Maxwell et al 2011). Again, the research highlighted that the earlier lives of care leavers and the subsequent low esteem that they have can be a significant hurdle in preparing for life outside of the care systemCare matters (2006) propose that local authorities provide free access to sports and clubs, as well as opportunities for personal development and volunteering. The full-blooded Care Programme supports this pledge, stating, This supports the National Healthy Care Standard entitlement for looked after children to have opportunities to develop personal and social skills, talents and abilities and to spen d time in freely chosen play, cultural and untenanted activities (DfES, 2006b, p. 3). More than 50 percent of the children who responded to the Green Paper reported having problems gaining access to such activities. (DfES, 2007).156 children in care rated the governments ideas for what councils should promise to them. A right to do leisure and sports activities and a chance to do a volunteering activity were fifth and sixth on their list, respectively (Morgan, 2007, p. 33).SupportBiehal et al (1995) also analyse the impact of different leaving care services on the young people involved. This study found that specialist leaving care services were close likely to have an impact on those who came into care from the most disadvantaged starting point. Biehal et al found that many young people were unprepared to leave care, but that this could be affected by their earlier family relationships and housing experiences. Like other studies, it was identified that the best leaving care ser vices should include making a contribution to improving accommodation options and helping young care leavers with life skills such as budgeting, negotiating and self-care (Biehal et al 1995).Stein (2008) examined how to promote the resilience of young people in care and better preparation for adulthood, suggesting that this could be better achieved through readiness of stability in care, a holistic preparation for transition and the provision of umbrella services throughout their time in care which promoted a positive sense of identity. Stein also developed a theory that carer leaves fall into three distinct groups which can be shaped by their level of preparation to leave care young people moving on, survivors and victims (Stein 2008). soft research into the views of young people on their preparations to leave care was undertaken by Morgan and Lindsay (2006). This identified that the assistance they were given in preparing to leave care change greatly. Some identified good prac tice such as young people preparing to leave care gradually by spending a couple of days a week living independently in their new accommodation, and the rest of the week back in care. Support to memorise practical skills such as cooking, doing laundry and housework was also seen as important but support in helping them learn these skills varied.Morgan and Lindsay also identified that practical help received from local authorities when leaving care was often lacking. Only 52% received support for education and accommodation, 53% were offered continued support from social services and only 33% offered practical help with training or benefits and grants (Morgan and Lindsay 2006).There is evidence that many young people feel largely unprepared for leaving care. Morgan and Lindsays study identified extremely short notice periods given to young people for leaving care, or young people being forced to leave care at a time when they did not feel ready to do so. In some of the worst example s, young people were given only 24 hours to leave a placement, they had no plan for the future, they had no home-keeping skills and little choices as to where they would move onto (Morgan and Lindsay 2006). Many maxim a leaving care worker as important but some saw their leaving care worker as unhelpful and unsympathetic.Young people were able to identify what they wanted from leaving care workers often sincere things such as to be there to support but not to interfere, and to offer support in finding adequate accommodation. Again, a severalise point is that provision of effective leaving care support appears to sidetrack greatly Morgan and Lindsay summarise the overall impression conveyed was distinctly that of a lottery, with some young people enjoying excellent preparation and support, whilst others received little or no help at all (Morgan and Lindsay 2006, p22).Mentoring groups or peer mentors i.e. actor care leavers to assist care leavers have also been identified as useful in preparing young people to live independently (Clayden and Stein 2005). Young people leaving care can need support from different sources at different times and a range of support networks can be useful in helping them overcome the disadvantages that they face. observe FINDINGSThe key findings from the literature review have been firstlyThe accelerated butt on and young age of care leavers as opposed to other peers is a result of push factor such as placement breakdown, limitations in the supply of placements, problems in managing challenging behaviour, traditional expectations and personal choice. Limited housing resources and the unsuitable allocation and condition of various accommodation provisions. LA as a corporate parent take a less proactive role compared to the parents of young people who are not in care in regards to their health which continue patterns of dissymmetry were particularly vulnerable to poor housing outcomes and were more likely to experience post c are instability and homelessness. Young people who have left care are over-represented amongst young homeless people, including those who are sleeping rough. Entering the care system can prove to be highly problematic by disrupting a young persons education progress due to placements complexities and the personal negative experiences of young people pre and post entering care. The lack of practical experiences and skills present during the transitions to independence presented as one of the main difficulties in conjunction with the issues of budgeting and housing as a main factor effecting a successful and stable transition. The research reviewed emphasise that young people would prefer and benefit from gaining support and experience in undertaking practical tasks prior to leaving care.It is important to note that that the provision of leaving care services across the UK varies and young people in different areas will have different experiences and levels of support.Most commentato rs agree that the experiences of young people both before they come into care and whilst in care can have an impact years later when they are preparing to leave care and that effective leaving care services are important in preparing care leavers for independent living. Support with accommodation emerges as one of the most effective ways to prepare young people to leave care along with provision of help and information on elemental life skills such as budgeting, organisation and self-care.There is certainly direction for further research in this area, particularly based on the experiences of UK care leavers at this point there is relatively little qualitative research into how young people feel about their preparations to leave care. The period before people leave care allows is an important period where carers and statutory organisations can make a positive impact on their lives fully pinch the impact of TSSs can be a valuable tool in delivering better outcomes.