Falling off the ladder: Using focal theory to understand and improve the educational experiences of young people in transition from public care

Abstract

Coleman's focal theory, developed in relation to adolescents in the general population, appears to offer some explanation for the poor educational achievement and social exclusion of care leavers, but has been little tested empirically. This paper revisits data from two studies of care-experienced young people aged 18 -25, drawing on qualitative interviews in the UK and four other European countries, to see if focal theory would have helped to predict their educational progression or otherwise. The lives of research participants were found to be characterised by disruptions and uncertainty, with multiple challenges confronting them in quick succession, making it hard for them to pace their transitions as, according to focal theory, other young people do. Findings suggest that the theory could be used to inform policy designed to improve educational outcomes and should be incorporated into training for those responsible for supporting care leavers through their transition to adulthood.

‘It was me, but it was them that helped me’: Exploring the issues for care experienced young people within higher education

“…The findings from our study echo those of Jackson and Cameron (2012), Driscoll (2013), Dixon (2016), Geiger and Beltran (2017) and Hollingworth and Jackson (2016) whose research identified internal self-reliance and determination, as well as supportive others as important factors in success within higher education. It is important, however, to acknowledge the complexity of the findings from this study.…”

“…Together, these themes impacted negatively upon their university experience. Hollingworth and Jackson (2016) reviewed the research by Jackson et al (2005) as well as the three-year European project reported upon by Jackson and Cameron (2011) by using focal theory (which suggests that young people go through various changes in succession, addressing each new challenge one at a time). The findings reiterated that care leavers experience compressed and accelerated transitions, meaning they face multiple challenges simultaneously, such as starting at university, independent living, learning how to budget, managing relationships and moving from 'child' to 'adult' status often with the accompanying loss of support services.…”

Extended care: Global dialogue on policy, practice and research

“…One resolution would be to make a clear distinction between remaining in care placements post-18 (extended care) and a broader range of measures that are made available to young people once they have left the care system (aftercare or continuing care provisions, which may, for example, include supported or semi-independent accommodation in the community). Related to this is the need for greater theorisation of extended care, drawing, for example, on emerging adulthood theory (Arnett, 2019), which argues for a prolonged transitional period between adolescence and adulthood, or focal theory (Hollingworth & Jackson, 2016), which argues that successful youth transitions require the avoidance of a pileup of transitional adjustments. Such theorisation of extended care, could better underpin conceptual and definitional issues concerning extended care and inform its practice (e.g., services, eligibility criteria and duration).…”

Socio-Educational Support Deficits in the Emancipation of Protected Youth in Spain

“…The high number of changes in their life in such a short period affects their capacity to cope with typical situations of transition to adult life (Dima & Skehill, 2011 ). The results of this research indicate that neither the youths nor the professional teams can set the pace of the emancipation processes (Hollingworth & Jackson, 2016 ). We highlight what is stated by Coleman ( 1989 ) in his focal theory.…”