Leaving Care During Covid-19 - Roundtable

VOYPIC - Voice of Young People in Care

Virtual roundtable discussion on experience of young people leaving care during the Covid-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland

Research published by VOYPIC, in partnership with Queen&#x27;s University Belfast, highlights the additional challenges faced by young people leaving care as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and associated restrictions to prevent its spread.It is hoped the report can provide insight into the support needed by young care leavers to navigate this difficult time. The report is available to download below:<a href="https://www.voypic.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Leaving-Care-During-Covid-19-in-NI-FINAL-REPORT.pdf" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Leaving Care During Covid-19 - Full Report</a><a href="https://www.voypic.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Leaving-Care-During-Covid-19-in-NI-FINAL-YP-REPORT.pdf" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Leaving Care During Covid-19 - Young People&#x27;s Report</a><a href="https://www.voypic.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Leaving-Care-During-Covid-19-in-NI-FINAL-YP-REPORT.pdf" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"></a>The study involved interviews with 24 young people across Northern Ireland, aged between 18 and 25 years old, who left care before, during, or shortly after, the first lockdown last year.While some of the young people thought their experience in care had made them better prepared for life in lockdown, most reported experiencing significant challenges during this crucial phase of their lives.Those young people preparing to move on from care discussed the disruption they experienced during the transition to supported or independent living.  Due to the lockdown and delays in decision making processes many were unsure of when they would have to move out, and where they would be able to move to.This was particularly true for an 18 year old young woman, referred to in the report by the pseudonym ‘Elena’.“It was like three weeks before my 18th [birthday] and I didn’t have a clue where I was going, and I was actually questioning whether they were going to keep me [there]. No social workers were telling me where I was going… [finally] I was told where I was going, and that was it. I didn’t really get a say about it.”The report identified mental health as a significant concern for young care leavers during the lockdown. The majority of the young people noted a negative impact on their mental health and emotional wellbeing, with the effect on those with pre-existing mental health conditions even more acute. The lack of a support network made this experience particularly challenging for some.‘Phil’, who is 18 and left care shortly before lockdown, said:“So obviously lockdown wasn’t the best time for me, because I have no family and I live in a one bedroomed flat. The best support I have is friends, but obviously I couldn’t see them for a very long time, so I did feel quite alone. It was just sort of me and the walls, and there wasn’t much to do. I felt there was no way to sort of escape. It was just me and the white walls.”Launching the report, Alicia Toal, Chief Executive of VOYPIC, has called on policy makers and professionals working with young people leaving care to take account of the findings to better support young people during the current period of restrictions.“It is essential that, in every part of our work, we ensure we are listening to the individual young people, hearing what they need and want, and taking steps to ensure their needs are met. This approach to supporting young people with experience of care has never been so important,” she said.“While it is clear that some young people had the resilience and support to weather the lockdown, the report clearly shows that many would have greatly benefited from more help to navigate the significant life milestones they were passing during that difficult period. Sadly, we have heard of too many young people who felt lost, who lacked the support they needed and who were left to face these challenges alone.”Professor Berni Kelly, from the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Worker at Queen’s University Belfast, is one of the authors of the report. She said:“This research gives voice to the experiences of young people leaving care during the pandemic, highlighting what worked well but also how services need to improve to offer care leavers more consistent support during lockdown and to address their mental health needs. We urge practitioners and policy makers to use the ten key messages from young people in the report to develop more effective supports for care leavers during the ongoing pandemic.”These ten key messages and recommendations for policy and practice include calls for more consistent keeping in touch, addressing the impact on housing and education, providing socially-distant face-to-face contact, supporting stronger support networks and addressing mental health and emotional wellbeing challenges.The need to recognise significant life milestones, to increase provision of practical support such as help getting essential household supplies, and to listen to the needs and wants of the individual young people are also highlighted.“The past year has been difficult for everyone, and particularly difficult for young people leaving care. While we see a light at the end of the Covid-19 tunnel, we still have some way to go before we get there,” Alicia added.“We hope that this report, and the messages from the young people it contains, will help inform and improve our support to young people as they make the move out of care during these challenging times.”

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Leaving Care During Covid-19 - Roundtable

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Leaving Care During Covid-19 - Roundtable

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