Supporting the transition of looked‐after young people to independent living: a systematic review of interventions and adult outcomes

Abstract

This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of transition support services (TSSs) that are delivered towards the end of care for looked-after young people (LAYP) on their adult outcomes, including education, employment, substance misuse, criminal and offending behaviour, parenthood, housing and homelessness and health. Searches of health, social science and social care bibliographic databases were conducted and records were screened for relevance. Citation and reference list searches were conducted on included studies. Relevant studies were synthesized and critically appraised. Seven studies were identified (five retrospective and two prospective cohort studies), six of which were conducted in the USA and one in the UK. Overall, LAYP who received TSSs were more likely to complete compulsory education with formal qualifications, be in current employment, be living independently and less likely to be young parents. There was no reported effect of the impact of TSSs on crime or mental health, and mixed findings for homelessness. The range of TSS components investigated and reported varied considerably within and between studies, with limited evidence of long-term outcomes. The literature reviewed offers no reliable conclusions on the effectiveness of TSSs at this time due to variations in research quality and because few formal evaluations of existing TSSs have been conducted, resulting in mixed evidence in terms of positive, negative and neutral impact on outcomes. Further high-quality, robust research to evaluate the effectiveness of TSSs on adult outcomes for young people in the short, medium and longer term is needed to address the health inequalities experienced by this small but vulnerable group and to inform decision making about service provision.

Interventions to support people exposed to adverse childhood experiences: systematic review of systematic reviews

“…Housing and life skills interventions. One review finds that support services for young people transitioning out of care are effective for housing and independent living outcomes but not for other outcomes [34], and one that interventions for homeless young people are largely ineffective for outcomes including alcohol or drug use or mental health [33].…”

Young People’s Preparedness for Adult Life and Coping After Foster Care: A Systematic Review of Perceptions and Experiences in the Transition Period

“…Overall, care leavers experience remarkable difficulties in achieving a high school degree (Cameron et al 2018;Gypen et al 2017;Kääriälä and Hiilamo 2017), and according to this review care leavers themselves are fully aware of these challenges. Supportive programs for education and case management (Everson-Hock et al 2011;Lawler et al 2014;Murray and Goddard 2014) have succeeded in increasing participation in higher education and working life. Successful support programs require a holistic approach with sufficient attention paid to education, interprofessional collaboration and the involvement of care leavers with their transition planning.…”

Transition from child to adult mental health services: needs, barriers, experiences and new models of care

“…In the looked‐after population, transition support services that provide training and promote independence and self‐sufficiency have been tried, but the evidence remains equivocal and the studies suffer from the same methodological limitations as identified in other reviews .…”