Care leavers’ transitions to adulthood in the context of Covid-19

The Care Leavers, COVID-19 and Transitions from Care (CCTC) study was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), as part of UK Research and Innovation’s rapid response to COVID-19 (ES/V016245/1).

The research explored care leavers’ experiences of the pandemic. Analysis of local authority management information system data on over 1300 young people from 10 local authorities and over 60 interviews with young people and professionals informed the study.

As part of the study care experienced adults, leaving care workers and operational managers came together to form a Networked Learning Community (NLC). Over a series of sessions the NLC supported the research team to interpret the findings, develop recommendations and tools for practice.

Care leavers typically leave their foster homes or residential placements at 16-18 years and cannot necessarily rely on receiving as much practical, emotional or family support, once they have moved, as their peers in the general population. Research shows that young people leaving care can feel isolated and abandoned at this time and that they are vulnerable to poor outcomes including poverty, homelessness, mental ill-health and unemployment. The health, social and economic impacts of Covid-19 heighten the challenges they are likely to face at a stage of life that can be difficult in the best of circumstances. The study will involve analysis of quantitative data on around 1000 care leavers and in-depth interviews with senior and operational managers from children's services and health on around 50 care leavers and their key workers, (at two time points), to inform understanding of the impact that the Covid-19 has had on the timing of young people's transitions from care, where young people go ('transition pathways'), what services and support they receive, and how they fare. In particular we will focus on understanding the impact that the pandemic has had on the health and wellbeing of care leavers and the strengths and limitations of the mainstream and specialist health services they receive. We will then work together with care leavers and professionals to develop recommendations for policy makers and tools to support best practice.