Emotional support for care leavers

I read this article recently on a Labour blog:

http://labourlist.org/2013/03/we-need-to-talk-about-children-in-care/

And sent the following email to the author of the article, MP Bill Esterson. I have since been invited to come and discuss the subject with him in Parliament. Would love to hear further views about the emotional support needed for care leavers to add to the discussion!

Dear Mr Esterson,

I enjoyed reading your article for the Labour List blog.

It is particularly relevant to me as having spent five years as a strategist in the advertising industry, I have recently made a big career change and  am currently finishing my training to be a social worker and am placed within a Children in Care team. I have been offered a job to continue in this team when I qualify in a few months.

My dissertation is going to be exploring the role of the emotional support network for care leavers, through their eyes. I’m teaming up with a Local Authority to carry out focus groups and interviews with young people who have recently made the transition out of care to look at how social workers can improve their practice in further supporting care leavers during this transition to avoid issues like those you write about, young people ending up in prison, homeless or with teenage pregnancies.

It’s not simple though. Many of these young people turn down the support they are offered. But I believe part of this, is because of the coping mechanisms they have had to build during their pre care experiences meaning that they often don’t know how to accept help. Similarly, they are trying to find the balance between becoming fully independent, which they have been desiring for so long, but also knowing how to be interdependent and call on people when they need help. These young people don’t get second chances. They leave care, they perhaps refuse support, but then they don’t get a chance to say they were wrong, that they want to go back into care, or get the mentor or the therapeutic support they didn’t think they needed.

I’m passionate about exploring this area further and if I can help in any way please do let me know.

Yours sincerely,

.....