ABSTRACT
The Northern Ireland Leaving Care Research Project was designed to provide a base line of empirical data on the leaving care experience in Northern Ireland. The work of the Leeds team was a major influence on the research methodology adopted by the Northern Ireland study, through their publications and the consultancy provided by Mike Stein, Director of the Leeds project. Draft questionnaires were presented to a range of managers and practitioners in both the statutory and voluntary sectors and to the Leeds research team for general comment. The different rates of progress of each Health Social Services Board in identifying their care leavers and workers meant survey questionnaires were distributed over an extended time period. As part of the process of any research project choices have to be made which will have both costs and benefits. The methodology that evolved was able to more effectively describe the particular experiences of the particular group of care leavers being studied.
