Award Title: Care leavers' transitions to adulthood in the context of Covid-19: Understanding pathways, experiences and outcomes to improve policy and practice
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council

Abstract: a)Explore health trajectories, access to and engagement with mainstream and specialist health services, and the strengths and limitations of these arrangements for care leavers in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic;
b)Establish what measures different local authorities have put in place to protect and promote the welfare of care leavers during, (and in the aftermath of), the Covid-19 pandemic;
c)Explore how young people experience leaving care at 16-18 years of age and how they have negotiated the changes brought about by this transition in the context of Covid-19; 
d)Obtain care leavers', social workers' and leaving care personal advisors' views on the strengths and limitations of services and (formal and informal) support in the context of Covid-19; 
e)Examine care leavers' transition pathways and any variations in the journeys that different 'sub-groups' of care leavers follow (with reference to individual characteristics, reasons for entry to care and in-care histories); 
f)Explore young people's progress and outcomes over time (6-8 months) and any variations between 'sub-groups' according to transition pathways; 
g)Work in co-production with care leavers, frontline and operational managers to identify measures that might be taken to improve service responses to meet the needs of different 'subgroups' within the leaving care cohort, including those at high risk of poor outcomes.

Lay Abstract: 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 900 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.

Research Activity Codes: 8.1 ORGANISATION AND DELIVERY OF SERVICES;8.3 POLICY, ETHICS AND RESEARCH GOVERNANCE
Health Categories: GENERIC HEALTH RELEVANCE