Where
to from here?
THE FUTURE OF LEAVING & AFTER CARE
IN NORTHERN IRELAND
[These
extracts are taken from the report compiled by Ross McCrea and produced following
a conference series undertaken by First Key (Northern Ireland) the Leaving Care
Advisory Service and the Voice of Young People In Care (VOYPIC)
First
Key NI - is a specialist charity which aims to initiate and enable development
of legislation and policies that benefit care leavers and provides services
that help others to develop effective Leaving and After Care provision. First
Key (NI) is affiliated to the National Leaving Care Advisory Service in England
and Wales, allowing access to years of experience of involving young people
in service provision.
VOYPIC
- aims to provide opportunities for children and young people who have experience
of the care system to come together and share their experiences with a view
to informing policy and practice. Young people are involved at all levels of
management, planning and delivery of services which include : Advocacy - to
support young people to speak out and get their views heard; Advice - for young
people on a wide range of topics from housing, case reviews, after care and
many other issues; and Group Work - to support young people in dealing with
topics and issues that are important to them.]
PART TWO
The Agenda
For Action
Setting
the Recommendations in Context - Key Findings From Leaving Care Research and
Practice in Northern Ireland
The
Northern Ireland Leaving Care Research Project (1996) aimed to provide a baseline
of empirical data and informed comment with which to review, plan, monitor and
evaluate services for young people leaving care in the context of new legislation
(the Children (NI) Order) and new strategic plans.
The
'Meeting The Challenge' report (1996 ) included information on the personal
characteristics, care career and leaving care experiences of all young people
over school leaving age who left care and training schools during a six month
period in 1992. It identified young people who were provided with formal programmes
and placements, both voluntary and statutory, in preparation for ceasing to
be in care. The study also evaluated the provision of both preparatory and after
care support. The findings are labelled below to allow for cross-referencing
against key recommendations from the conference series.
A.
Facts and Figures about young people leaving Board Care and Training Schools
-
During
a six month period of 1992, 110 young people aged between 16 and 18 years
old left the care of a Health and Social Services Board and 37 left the
care of a Training School.
-
The
majority of Board care leavers were under 18 years of age (55%) and around
3 in 5 of training school leavers were sixteen (62%).
-
Around
3 in 4 of the Board care leavers had spent two or years or more in care
compared to about 1 in 3 amongst Training School leavers.
-
Most
of the care leavers in both groups entered care as adolescents for reasons
in which care and control were interwoven.
-
2
in 5 of young people leaving Board care and 3 in 4 of those leaving Training
schools had received formal preparation for leaving.
-
Young
people leaving Board care from a residential placement were the moist likely
to receive preparation.
-
Most young people leaving Board care (3 in 5) or Training school (4 in 5)
returned home.