Purpose-Considerable attention has been given to the vulnerability of young people leaving care in the United Kingdom (UK) in their transition to adulthood. To date, however, there has been limited focus on the perceptions of care leavers about what factors enable and inhibit effective practice. Design/methodology/approach-This systematic literature review sought to elicit the views of UK care leavers in identifying barriers and facilitators to the process of transition to adulthood. Qualitative studies in the care-leaving field were identified, of which seven met inclusion criteria and were included in the final synthesis. Findings-The findings yielded a range of facilitators, including authentic and consistent relationships with those acting in the role of corporate parent; and flexible systems, which accommodated personal readiness for leaving care. Barriers included insufficient recognition of, and a lack of support for, the psychological dimensions of transition, exacerbated by insufficient support networks. Research limitations/implications-This literature search yielded seven qualitative papers, some with small sample sizes, meaning that the findings may not be representative of a wider population or directly relevant to international contexts. Practical implications-Suggestions for enhancing the transition process are suggested. In particular, the potential usefulness of an 'interdependence' transition approach for UK care leavers is proposed. Originality/Value-This study analyses qualitative data, thus constituting a response to policy calls for care leaver views to be central to transition processes.
AimCorporate parenting in the UK may not be well-operationalised, with a potential role for educational psychologists (EPs) in promoting effective practice. This paper explores care leavers’ needs and priorities from the perspective of self-determination theory (SDT), which relates the individual’s motivation to the human need for competence, relatedness and autonomy.MethodTen young people aged 16–19 from two UK local authorities were interviewed about their priorities in preparing for adulthood. Interview findings were then deductively analysed using a SDT framework.FindingsInterviews highlighted the young people’s preference for graduated transition to adulthood. Analysis showed relatedness to be the most salient SDT domain, foregrounding the importance of consistent, authentic and personalised relationships. Consistent relationships motivated care leavers to engage with support and to pursue post-16 goals with enhanced self-determination. Conversely, gaps in young people’s support networks undermined service engagement, potentially impeding a supported and successful transition to adulthood.LimitationsThe study was small-scale and the age range, demographics and quality of leaving care support may not have been representative of a wider population.ConclusionsSDT is potentially useful for highlighting care leavers’ needs and priorities when preparing for adulthood, with clear implications for corporate parenting, particularly within the relatedness domain. A possible role for EPs is proposed, which could strengthen service delivery through both systemic and individual work.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.