care leavers

The briefing aims to give people who provide and use social care services an overview of research evidence by describing what it tells us about:

• how social workers make decisions about whether or not to return looked-after children to their birth parent/s
• effective approaches to deciding which children are likely to benefit from return home, and to helping parents and children when they do
• predictors of stability and positive wellbeing following return home.

Evaluation of five social work practice (SWP) pilots started up in England between December 2009 and May 2010. These independent organisations were commissioned by local authorities to provide services for looked after children and care leavers.

The pilots were introduced to discover whether smaller social work-led organisations independent of local authorities could improve the morale and retention of social workers and bring decision making closer to front-line practice.

Guardian article which explains how a project in Scotland involved young people in planning and designing care leavers' services.

Concerns have been raised regarding the care and support received by children who go missing from care. In response to these concerns, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Runaway and Missing Children and Adults and the APPG for Looked After Children and Care Leavers called a parliamentary Inquiry to examine these issues more closely.

Report that gives the views of young people who are about to leave boarding schools for adult life, of residential students in further education colleges, and of care leavers, about learning and preparing for life as independent adults. It compares the views of those moving into independent adulthood from these very different backgrounds.

The NSPCC is calling on central and local government to address the risks for children returning home from care. They must improve performance, eliminate variations in practice across local authorities, and increase the support provided to children and their parents. Taken together, these measures could ensure that returns home are successful and that all children are protected from harm.

Case study about developing good relationships between young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties and staff in a residential children’s home.

Report that starts dialogue with central government by suggesting particular areas and issues that should be addressed in four government depar tments: Communities and Local Government; Department for Work and Pensions; Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Department of Health. In addition it proposes that that the Department for Education, which has primary responsibility for care leavers, joins with the Cabinet Office to lead a cross government approach to improving journeys from care to adulthood.

Policy report that considers how, despite significant improvements in legislation and statutory guidance, culture and practice across the care system does not consistently support high levels of achievement in education for young people in and from care.

Open Doors, Open Minds was a project run by The Who Cares? Trust in 2011/12 which explored the barriers that prevent young people in and from care pursuing and completing courses of study in further and higher education.

Report that gives the views of young people, mainly from among those who have left care, about their experience of care and leaving care. As well as looking at what young people have said, we have also tried to see whether they have been getting what the law says that they should be. This report should give an important insight into how well the care system is doing for children and young people, and how it prepares them for their own future, through the eyes of those leaving care for independent adult life.