Harris, Victoria
(2009)
How do young people experience the transition from being a looked after child to living independently and how can it be improved in the eyes of the young people using the service? (Sharing our experience, Practitioner-led research 2008-2009; PLR0809/117).
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Abstract
The aim of this study was to research the transition from being a looked after child to moving into independence from the point of view of the young people and what they feel could improve this service for future generations. This research aimed to explore the transition between being looked after and living independently. To achieve these aims, face to face semi-structured interviews, phone interviews, email questionnaires and text interviews were employed with a relatively small sample of young people. A final sample of 30 participants was achieved and all young people were aged between 17 and 25. The majority, i.e. 25 people, were from a white British background. Some of the young people were living in independent accommodation and some were in supported lodgings. Although semi-structured, the interviews were flexible enough to allow the probing of issues that arose during the interview. Anecdotal evidence from young people interviewed during this study showed that young people making the transition from being a looked after child to independent living have issues with the amount of support they are getting from their social work team. It is thought that insufficient emotional support or financial preparation for young people will inevitably mean the young people are heading towards a downward spiral. The first main finding of the project was that many of the young people had to live on low levels of finance, due to either not having adequate benefits paid to them or the skills to manage the money they are given. The second main finding was that young people felt they were not supported enough in the early days of independent living. Many of the skills needed to live on their own, such as cooking, cleaning and DIY, as well as emotional skills, were learnt in practice. The implications for practice are stated and conclusions from the study are drawn in the full report.
| Item Type: | Document from Web |
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| Publisher: | Children’s Workforce Development Council |
| Additional Information: | http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/assets/0000/7499/PLR0809117.pdf |
| Depositing User: | Editor (1) |
| Date Deposited: | 11 May 2011 11:27 |
| Last Modified: | 03 Jul 2012 18:22 |
| URI: | http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/id/eprint/2794 |
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