ABSTRACT
This chapter puts the experiences of young care leavers in contemporary Britain into perspective, drawing on the voices of the most disadvantaged care leavers, referred to as ‘victims’: after leaving care they are likely to be unemployed and to become homeless, to be lonely and isolated, and have mental health problems. Since the mid-1970s the adversities faced by young people leaving care have been recognised. Yet, despite considerable quantifiable data about the circumstances of care leavers in the UK, there is less qualitative data about how these circumstances are experienced by them and/or how practitioners/professionals view their practice within this. Care leavers are the group of young people who have spent time in care and/or have grown up in the care system and find themselves in the position of having to leave the care system (whether they are ready or not), either to become independent or with some form of ongoing support (e.g. in the form of after-care, ongoing support from social work and/or counselling). The links between mental health and wellbeing and pre-care experiences are complex and varied, and experiences whilst in care and of leaving care add to this complexity. Drawing on data from semi-structured interviews with care leavers and practitioners, critical realist ontology and thematic content analysis, this chapter will shed a light on this complexity.
