Procedures when young people leave care — Views of 111 Swedish social services managers

In western societies, there is a general tendency towards a protracted transition to adulthood for young people, who thereby may become increasingly dependent on support from family. Young people leaving a placement in out-of-home care often lack such support, and will thus have a disadvantageous position compared to their peers. With the purpose of looking into the procedures when young people leave a placement in out-of-home care, telephone interviews were performed with 111 managers of social service units in two Swedish regions (West Sweden, and Stockholm Region), using a structured interview schedule. Answering rate was 99.1%.Only 6% of the managers had information of the young people's whereabouts once they had left care. 86-88% had general support programmes for all young people concerning housing, employment etc. but only 2-4% had specific programmes for young people leaving care. A majority of the managers were attentive of the difficulties the young people leaving care may encounter, but displayed little awareness of the consequences of a prolonged transition to adulthood, and the need for continued support after leaving care. Several managers referred to the general support of the Swedish welfare state, meaning that young people leaving care had the same access to support as all other young people in Sweden. Consequently, young people leaving care are at risk of being invisible in the welfare system and facing a compressed transition to adulthood.     

A bit more understanding: Young adults' views of mental health services in care in Ireland

Children and young people in the care system typically experience very high levels of mental health difficulties, yet their views of these difficulties and of mental health services have rarely been explored. For this qualitative study we spoke with eight young adults aged 18 to 27 years with experience of the care system in Ireland about mental health challenges, service experiences, and how they felt mental health services needed to improve. Themes from the interviews illuminated young adults' views of their emotional well-being while in care, and the double stigma of being in care and mental health difficulties. In terms of services, young adults wanted these to be flexible and sensitive to level of need; to offer choice and more congenial environments; to provide more creative routes to engaging young people; and to offer honest, reciprocal, caring communication — treating children in care as one would any child. Recommendations highlight three key needs: an ethic of care in services as well as an ethic of justice; mental health training for all professionals in contact with children in care; and the need to listen, hear and act on what children and young people say.     

Keyworking in residential child care: Lessons from research

Developing quality relationships is recognised as an active ingredient for effective interventions with young people in care. Essentially, care staff has the opportunity and capacity to positively influence the young person's experiences in care, through the positive relationships they form. This paper presents selectively on the findings of two separate but related qualitative Irish studies exploring relationship-based approaches in residential child care practice, from the perspectives of both residential child care workers and young care leavers. Thirty-two professionals and four care leavers participated in either focus group or individual interviews. The findings are integrated in this paper with the wider literature on young people leaving care, with the aim of identifying core knowledge that is needed by service providers who are tasked with the support of young people making the transition out of care and towards independent living. In this paper we attempt to identify the knowledge base on relationship-building which is needed by care staff in order to carry out their role. It is argued that an explicit knowledge base is overdue now that the complex needs of young people in care are increasingly visible through advances in research and more recently the emerging literature concerning the personal testimonies of care graduates.     

Improving practice: The importance of connections in establishing positive identity and meaning in the lives of vulnerable young people

This article presents the findings of a participatory qualitative study investigating the role and potency of identity and meaning in the lives of vulnerable young people. In-depth interviews with 24 young people revealed the importance of connectedness in fostering positive identity and meaning in vulnerable young people's lives. Five critical domains for building positive identity and meaning emerged: caring relationships; participation and contribution within their communities; achieving a sense of belonging; competence; and hope. Young people's experiences uncovered that connectedness lies at the heart of all of these domains, and is therefore the pathway for vulnerable young people to attain positive identity and meaning. The findings reinforce what we know about the importance of connectedness for vulnerable young people and provided insights into how young people want to be supported with these issues. This article critically examines some of the difficulties for support workers in facilitating connectedness for young people and considers why these connections are not always developed. Practical suggestions are provided for how youth support workers may be able to overcome these challenges.     

Views of People with Learning Difficulties about Current and Future Accommodation: the use of focus groups to promote discussion

There is growing emphasis on inclusion as a central philosophy in services for people with learning difficulties in the UK, Europe and the USA. Coupled with this is recognition of the need to actively involve people with learning difficulties in the research process through the use of more inclusive approaches. This paper reports the use of focus groups as a strategy for data collection from people with learning difficulties in a project that sought to review existing accommodation and support. A number of important key themes emerged relating to the importance of social networks, inclusion, reciprocal relationships, privacy and security. The implications arising from these findings for the provision of accommodation and support are considered. Furthermore, it was concluded that focus groups are potentially a valuable approach in research that seeks to actively involve people with learning difficulties.     

Mental health support needs of people with a learning difficulty: a medical or a social model?

People with learning difficulties, like all disabled people, face social oppression. Much recent policy and practice are underpinned by at least some understanding of this oppression, and the social model of disability has been influential in discussions of services and supports for people with learning difficulties. However, in the area of mental health, the picture is somewhat different. This paper argues that the medical model has predominated in discussions of mental health support for people with learning difficulties, and that a social model approach could have much to offer. The paper draws on an ongoing action research study in which service providers, families and young people with learning difficulties are working together to articulate what is needed, in order to find routes to improve the support offered to young people with learning difficulties and mental health support needs.     

Young people's views on safety and preventing abuse and harm in residential care: “It's got to be better than home”

Young people who live in residential care are at greater risk of experiencing sexual abuse and other forms of abuse than those living in other out of home care placements. To better understand how young people perceive and experience safety in residential care, and the things that they most need to be and feel safe, a qualitative study was conducted with 27 Australian children and young people for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. This paper describes young people's perspectives on what makes residential care safe: supportive relationships, stability and predictability, fair rules, and having some control over their environment. Young people said that safety could be improved with: better appreciation of the risks in residential care; better matching, staffing and oversight; and better-designed responses that involve young people themselves. The findings provide critical insights from young people themselves and argue that adults and institutions need to appreciate their views of safety so as to adequately respond.     

Perspectives of Young People in Care About their School-to-Work Transition

Abstract

Achieving in education and employment has long-term effects on quality of life. With below-average levels of educational attainment, many young people in care are ill-equipped for the transition from school to further education and work. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study that explored the school to work transition experiences of young people currently or previously in care, and their ideas about future employment. A range of personal and contextual factors that influence study and work goals were identified. Young people spoke about the importance of personal confidence and determination, supportive relationships, someone to believe in them and encourage them, opportunities to pursue their goals, avenues to gain information about how to get desired jobs, positive school experiences, and the need for stability in their lives. The study suggests widening the agenda for case planning, transition from care and after-care support, to include career planning and vocational assistance.     

Institutional care in India: Investigating processes for social reintegration

Globally investigations show that the social reintegration of young people transitioning out of institutional care is burdened with difficulties. This study aims to unravel the social reintegration policies and legislations of the different organisations (government and private) in India, catering to these children and youth. It has built case studies of twenty child-care and after-care homes operating in the metropolitan cities of Mumbai and Kolkata assessing their diversities in the models of care, processes of admission, availability of basic services, provisions for transition and nature of after-care support. Based on the findings, the researcher has developed a standardised social reintegration framework for intervention.     

Do they get what they expect?: The connection between young adults' future expectations before leaving care and outcomes after leaving care

This study examines the future expectations of young people in out-of-home placements in the last year before leaving care and the association between those expectations and their outcomes after leaving care. The study examines the hypothesis that care leavers with higher future expectations will have better outcomes in the areas of housing, educational achievements, economic status, adjustment to military service, and life satisfaction. The study was conducted through 277 interviews with the young adults at their last year in care and 236 interviews a year after they left care. Higher future expectations while in care were positively correlated with satisfaction in accommodation, economic status and educational achievements and adjustment to required military service after leaving care. These findings emphasize the role of future expectations as a source of resilience and motivation. They also illustrate the importance of designing programs that address care leavers' self-perception and future outlook and offer preparation in concrete areas as the youth transition to adult life.     

Family structure and family relationship from the child well-being perspective: Findings from comparative analysis

Relationships within the family are important for the development of children's well-being, as well as for their evaluations of their family and their overall life satisfaction. Nevertheless, little is known about differences in family relationships, family subjective well-being (SWB) and overall SWB of children from different groups, especially those who are living in diverse family structures. The purpose of this study is to explore differences in family relationships, family SWB and overall SWB between children living in three different living arrangements – a two-parent family, a single-parent family and a separated family. The study used data from the second wave of data collection of the Children's Worlds project, a large international study of children's well-being. 20,343 children aged 10–12 from 10 countries constitute the final sample of the current sample. Several agreement, satisfaction and time use questions were applied to measure the children's family relationships and family SWB. Two psychometric scales were used to explore the children's overall SWB. In addition, differences in socio-economic characteristics were also explored. Children living with both parents were found to evaluate their family relationships and family SWB higher than children living in a single parent family and in separated families. Similar results were also found in respect to overall SWB. Not many differences were found between the last two groups, namely these children are quite similar in their perceptions and evaluations of their families and their overall SWB. However, children living in separated families tend to be less satisfied with the people they live with and their family life. This trend was found in all participant countries, although it was less prevalent in Israel and Algeria. The discussion offers several possible explanations to the findings, and emphasizes that the source of the differences may be complex and may include macro and micro explanations.     

A Mixed Methods Exploration of Single Session Family Therapy in a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in Tasmania,Australia

Single session therapy (SST) is grounded in the belief that clients and families can effect change after one therapeutic encounter, using their own resources, with brief support and assistance from therapists. SST has been found to be an effective intervention for children, young people, and their families presenting with a wide range of difficulties. Research in child and adolescent mental health has shown that over 50% of families find one SST encounter is enough with no need for further specialist input. This study aims to explore family member experiences of SST (undertaken as single session family therapy and termed hereafter SSFT) as an initial intervention in a regional child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS), specifically in terms of worry, confidence, and satisfaction outcomes. An exploratory, mixed methods convergent design was utilised using a combination of open questions and Thurstone scales. All eligible family members were invited to complete questionnaires before and after the SSFT, asking about level of worry, confidence, and overall satisfaction with SSFT. Quantitative and qualitative findings indicated most family members had a positive experience of SSFT, although differences were found between young people, parents, and siblings. Overall, family members’ level of worry decreased, while only parental confidence in managing the presenting issue(s) increased. Over half of the families did not require further contact with CAMHS following the SSFT. Our findings support previous research that SSFT is an effective, family-inclusive, and well received intervention for a variety of mental health issues facing children and young people. SSFT could be considered a beneficial and well received first response for the majority of CAMHS clients, which prioritises a family-inclusive approach. Future research could focus on attaining a more in-depth understanding of individual family member experiences with a view to improving SST delivery.     

From Adolescence to Young Adulthood: the partnership challenge for learning disability services in England

The transition from adolescence to young adulthood is acknowledged to be difficult for all young people, but the problems facing those with a learning disability will tend to be greater. This article identifies these additional difficulties, and considers the extent to which new policy requirements and expectations in England can address them. At the heart of this new approach is the need for partnership working between a complex range of agencies and professionals. What is at stake is not only a better system of support for some vulnerable young people, but also—in microcosm—the viability of partnership working as a policy tool for addressing complex issues.     

Support and Access in Sports and Leisure Provision

This paper will look at different ways of enabling people with learning difficulties to engage in leisure opportunities: the Support Model and the Access Model. These models will be put in their social context and then critiqued.

The support model will be be contextualised in the theory of normalisation, access in disability theory. The support worker role will be shown to be useful in motivating people with learning difficlties into new activities, as well as having a protecting element, and unwittingly, disguise the level of discrimination people with learning difficulties are subject to.

The access worker role will be shown to have strengths in understanding discrimi nation. With this analysis, it has the potential to dismantle disabling practices. However, the needs of people with learning difficulties have ramifications for disability theory. In practice, that means that ideas of self-advocacy need to be taken on board.

Through interviews with sports personnel, social workers and people with learning difficulties, the implications of creating fully comprehensive access will be examined. I will conclude that both effective support and comprehensive access must be in place before people with learning difficulties are able to make a meaningful choice as to how they are enabled to participate in sports. It is only at that point of choice that the two models become complementary rather than competing discourses of provision.     

We Live Here Too: Birth Children's Perspectives on Fostering Someone with Learning Disabilities

SUMMARY. This paper reports some results from a study of foster care of young people with severe learning disabilities. It focuses upon the views and experiences of the birth children in foster families. The findings demonstrate how fostering involves everyone in the family, not just the adult carers; and highlight some of the rewards and difficulties of fostering from the birth children's point of view.     

Young people's views of children's rights and advocacy services: a case for ‘caring’ advocacy?

This paper looks at some preliminary findings from research with young people in foster and residential care in the UK who have received advocacy services from a range of local authority and voluntary agencies. The study also includes the views of professionals, from both children's rights and social services. The initial findings highlight the importance to young people of their relationship with rights professionals. They speak about the value to them of care and respect, aspects not always seen as fundamental to rights work. Caring, in its various guises is seen by young people as a vital component of their relationship with children's rights workers. They also see this as important within advocacy work itself since caring about the outcome is often key. A pure individual rights focus with an emphasis on challenge and ‘being heard’ may not take account of the complexity of their situation and may pose difficult dilemmas for young people, especially in dealings with their carers. This ‘caring’ advocacy is not the paternalistic approach of a professional who ‘knows what's best for you’ but is a model based on a strong awareness of ways that young people are excluded and oppressed. It is also about placing a positive value on their contribution as citizens and links to a view of society that gives importance to an ethic of inter‐relationship and care as well as an ethic of individual rights. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Supporting Asian Deaf Young People and their Families: the role of professionals and services

This paper discusses how Asian deaf young people and their families engage with welfare provision. Our findings, based on group and individual interviews with young deaf people and individual interviews with their parents, explore the assumptions underlying current provision and how they influence the options available to young people and their families. The paper suggests that the welfare state exerts a form of social control where professional help, although well intended, may disempowers Asian deaf people by privileging 'oralism' over sign language, and western norms over other cultural values. On the other hand, positive constructions of deafness privilege Deaf identity while failing to accommodate ethnic or religious diversity, resulting in Asian deaf young people and their families having an ambivalent relationship with the Deaf community. We argue that services need to recognise and address the reasons for this ambivalence if they are to adequately engage Asian deaf people and their families.     

Choice: what,when and why? Exploring the importance of choice to disabled people

Extending choice and control over public services is central to current policies in England. Such policies have immense potential for independence and well‐being. However, it is still not clear how disabled people conceptualise choices, what choices are important, for which groups of people, in what areas of life and why. This paper presents findings from the first phase of a longitudinal qualitative study of choice and control over the life‐course. Semi‐structured interviews were carried out with 111 participants including disabled young people with progressive conditions; their parents; adults and older people with fluctuating support needs and those experiencing sudden deterioration in health. The findings suggest that while most people across all study groups wanted to be able to make choices in all areas of their lives, there are significant differences in the importance they attach to specific choices. The findings have implications for service reforms and identify some policy and practice issues that need to be addressed.     

Quality of Life for People with Learning Difficulties Moving to Community Homes

Research concerning people with learning difficulties who have left institutions has typically investigated how well people 'adapt' to life in the community, and has often ignored users' own perceptions of the changes in their quality of life resulting from the move. In this study, eight people with learning difficulties who moved from a hospital and seven people who moved from parental homes to live in staffed homes in the community were interviewed. Choice, privacy, social life and relationships with their parents and staff emerged as important factors in participants' perception of their quality of life. Their relationships with their parents were found to be close, and in some cases their parents were overprotective. Staff were perceived in some cases as too controlling and in others as providing too little support. The findings indicate that people with learning difficulties moving to community residences have aspirations which encompass far more than a wish to adapt to life in the community, and their relationships with family and staff are a central factor in achieving such aspirations.