Title: How do Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children who are transitioning from local authority care, and the professionals who support them, discuss integration when based in higher or lower diversity contexts?
Funder: Department of Health and Social Care

Abstract: Background: Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in the UK have challenges when integrating into their communities. These experiences can lead to social isolation and deterioration in mental health. The location in which young people are placed can hugely impact upon the availability of local resources to support integration.Practitioners, therefore, need to understand what integration means to young people, be aware of how community diversity can impact upon integration, and consider ways to support unaccompanied minors to integrate, as they leave care. Integration is defined as a multi-dimensional process, where individuals 'live, work, learn and socialise together, based on shared rights, responsibilities and opportunities'. Research Question: How do Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children who are transitioning from local authority care, and the professionals who support them, discuss integration when based in higher or lower diversity contexts? Aim and Objectives: This research aims to improve the support offered to unaccompanied minors who are leaving care. This will be achieved via the following objectives: By considering what integration means to them, practically, legally and psychologically Identifying barriers and opportunities to their integration within the UK By considering how the cultural diversity of an area impacts upon the integration of unaccompanied minors leaving care By providing social workers and foster carers with guidelines to improve their support to unaccompanied minors leaving care, thus maximising integration into communitiesStudy Design and Methodological Approach: A qualitative research design will be utilised. This will include a three-stage, semi-structured walking interview with unaccompanied minors, or former unaccompanied minors.Semi-structured interviews will also take place with professionals, including social workers/personal advisors and carers. The data from interviews will be analysed using a framework analysis approach, to identify the study findings. The recommendations from the study will then be developed using a Delphi-consensus method and these recommendations will inform guidelines for social workers/carers.Participants: Forty participants will be involved in the study. Thirty of which will be unaccompanied minors or former unaccompanied minors, and the remaining 10 will be professionals. Half of these will be from a diverse local area and the other half from a less diverse area. Timeline for delivery: This study will take place over three years.Anticipated impact and dissemination:The knowledge gained from this study will support unaccompanied minors to move from a position of isolation to one of integration. This will contribute to a sense of belonging, improved mental health and smoother transitions when leaving care. The findings of this research will be disseminated to a wide audience, including social workers of varying experience, from students through to senior leaders. A combination of articles, presentations and conferences will be shared with multi-agency partners, within the private and public sector. The most significant outputs from this study will be a short film created in partnership with young people, and guidelines for social work practitioners and carers. These guidelines aim to improve integration for young people, by offering practical advice, tools for direct work, case studies and reflective questions, for individuals and teams to consider.

Lay abstract: This research aims to improve the support offered to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children during the process of leaving care, with specific focus on their journey of integration . This will be achieved through the following objectives: By considering what integration means to them, practically, legally and psychologically Identifying barriers and opportunities to their integration within the UK By considering how the cultural diversity of an area impacts upon the integration of unaccompanied minors leaving care By providing social workers and foster carers with guidelines to improve their support to unaccompanied minors leaving care, thus maximising integration into communitiesAn Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Child (UASC) is defined as someone under the age of 18, who has been separated from both of their parents and submits a claim for asylum in their own right (Home Office, 2020). There are currently around 5,000 children seeking asylum in the absence of their parents, and many more who have transitioned from being unaccompanied minors to care experienced adults. These young people have often travelled thousands of miles from their country of origin. On this journey to safety, many experience significant trauma, which leaves them at higher risk of developing mental health issues. The risks to their mental health are intensified by the social isolation experienced upon arrival at their destination country, and the location in which they are placed can impact hugely upon the resources available to support integration.Integration is a key factor in improving the social, economic and emotional needs of young people. It can help to improve mental health and provide a sense of belonging. This study includes a three-stage, semi-structured walking interview with thirty UASC or former UASC. The first session will involve building rapport and route planning, the second session which include the walking interview and taking photos of key landmarks, and finally, a wind-down session will take place, following the walking tour. The second arm of this study will involve semi-structured interviews with practitioners (social workers, personal advisors and carers), to gather their perspective on integration for unaccompanied minors. The study will consider those who live, and work, in higher and lower diversity contexts. A group of unaccompanied asylum seekers and adult asylum seekers have been involved in developing this research proposal. They reflected on their time adapting to life in the UK and each of the individuals discussed the factors which impact upon their integration. The common themes include difficulties in communication, adapting to a new culture and issues of stigma and racism. Those that went to college, rather than school, found this process more challenging and all of the collaborators found the wait for an asylum decision particularly difficult.A Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group will be involved at every stage of this research process. Their involvement will be vital in the development of recruitment materials, data collection tools, peer interviewing and designing the study outputs. This group will play an active role in the development of a short film and guidelines for social workers.The findings will be disseminated to social workers, foster carers, service users and professional partners, within the public and voluntary sector. The purpose is to develop multi-agency participation in the journey to improved integration. The findings will be presented in academic and non-academic formats, including journal articles, magazines, conferences and social media. The most significant outputs will be the creation of a short film and practice guidelines. These outputs will highlight what integration means to young people. Further, it will provide social workers and foster carers with strategies to improve their support to unaccompanied minors leaving care, thus maximising integration into communities

Research activity codes: 7.1 INDIVIDUAL CARE NEEDS;8.1 ORGANISATION AND DELIVERY OF SERVICES
Health categories: GENERIC HEALTH RELEVANCE