What Does International Research Identify as the Best Practice Housing Pathways for Young People Transitioning from Out of Home Care?

Young people transitioning from out-of-home care (often called care leavers) are globally a disadvantaged group who can be particularly vulnerable to experiences of housing instability and homelessness. This article presents a scoping review of international scholarly literature pertaining to housing pathways for care leavers from 2015–2020. The 15 publications identified were analysed according to location, methodology, sample accessed, key findings regarding housing pathways and outcomes, and recommendations for policy and practice reform. Our findings suggest that good transition planning, continuing support from responsible adults, the availability of safe and affordable housing and extended care till at least 21 years should enable more positive housing transitions.

Permanence

This chapter considers how far the Barnardos adoptees achieved legal, residential and emotional permanence after adoption. It draws on minimal follow-up data, available for 124 adoptees (59% of the original cohort); extensive data collected through responses to an online survey concerning 93 adoptees (44% of the cohort) 5–37 years after placement; and interviews focusing on 24 adult adoptees. Ages at follow-up ranged from 5 to 44. All adoptees had achieved legal permanence. Many had achieved residential permanence after numerous placements in care: 34% of those aged 18 or over were still living with their adoptive parents. Twelve (13%) placements had disrupted, but all except eight (9%) adoptees had achieved psychological permanence. Relationships between adoptees and adoptive parents were twice as likely to persist as those between care leavers and foster parents.

Adult Outcomes

The chapter focuses exclusively on the 60 adoptees aged over 18 who completed the follow-up survey. It draws on data collected through survey responses and interviews focusing on 24 adult adoptees. It explores their outcomes across a range of dimensions that together contribute to a composite measure of adult functionality. It presents the outcomes the adoptees achieved on each of these key domains and explores how they compared both with those of the normative Australian population and a contemporaneous cohort of care leavers. The adoptees showed more evidence of poor mental health than care leavers, but often did better in terms of education and employment. The presence of a committed adoptive parent appears to have acted as a powerful protective factor, and only extreme indicators of vulnerability at entry to the adoptive home correlated with poor adult outcomes.

Indigenous youth transitioning from out-of-home care in Australia: a study of key challenges and effective practice responses

Purpose This paper aims to report on the findings of a qualitative study that explored the views of 53 service providers assisting Indigenous young people (known in Australia as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth) transitioning from out-of-home care (OOHC) in Australia. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was adopted involving semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 53 representatives of state and territory government departments, non-government organisation service providers and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs) across Australia. The project was designed to gain the perspectives of those working within the system and their views on how it interacts with Indigenous care leavers. Interview questions aimed to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of the leaving care support systems available to this cohort, as well as the key challenges facing service providers in supporting them. Finally, the study aimed to make recommendations for policy development in this area and identify potential best practice service responses. Findings The study found that the OOHC service systems continue to fail Indigenous care leavers, their families and communities. Study findings revealed that Indigenous care-leavers face substantial challenges and that the support systems for those leaving OOHC are often culturally insensitive and ineffective. Many Indigenous OOHC leavers lacked the supports they needed to develop safe and ongoing relationships with their traditional Country, family and communities. To promote more positive transitions and outcomes, effective practice responses were identified, including culturally safe programmes and proportional funding for ACCOs to advance greater self-determination. Originality/value This research is the first national study in Australia to examine the specific transition from care pathways and experiences of Indigenous young people. The findings add to the limited existing knowledge on Indigenous care leavers globally and should inform practice and policy innovations with this cohort in Australia and beyond.

Dialectical behaviour therapy ‘Skills for Living’ for young people leaving care: A qualitative exploration of participants’ experiences

It is acknowledged that care leavers experience an accelerated transition into adulthood, despite often having complex psychosocial needs with limited support networks. The ‘Skills for Living’ programme was designed to improve the psychological wellbeing of care leavers and offers an adapted Dialectical Behaviour Therapy skills group as its primary intervention. This paper provides a qualitative evaluation of the programme. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 10 participants, and the data were analysed using thematic analysis ( Braun & Clarke, 2006 ). Four key themes emerged: ‘Initial Apprehension and Reluctance to Participate’, ‘Connection, Understanding and Validation’, ‘Confidence with Social Skills’, and ‘Emotional Acceptance and Self-Soothing’. Clinical implications and recommendations are discussed.

“I got into a very dark place”: addressing the needs of young people leaving care during the Covid-19 pandemic

Purpose This paper aims to report on the findings of a qualitative study that explored the views and experiences of young people leaving care during the first phase of the Covid-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was adopted involving semi-structured interviews with 24 care leavers 18–25 years old from across the region. Interviews were conducted remotely online or by telephone and explored young people’s lived experiences during the pandemic including their views on the formal support services and how best to provide ongoing for support care leavers during the pandemic. Findings Study findings highlight how known adversities for care leavers are exacerbated during the pandemic, having a detrimental impact, particularly on their emotional well-being. The response of the state as a corporate parent in mitigating the impact of the pandemic was found to be inadequate; with a need for much clearer communication, transparent and prompt decision-making and targeted specialist mental health services. The account given by the young people also highlighted the importance of participation and relationship-based practice to build on the young people’s resilience in the context of high levels of social isolation and limited access to informal support systems. Originality/value This research, based on the views of care experienced young people themselves, is the first study in Northern Ireland to report on the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic on care leaving. As such it makes a contribution to this emerging international field of study and, given the persistence of the pandemic, provides empirical findings and a social justice perspective of ongoing relevance to policy and practice with young people leaving care.