Young adults leaving care system 'face challenges'

Plymouth is currently seeing about 180 young people leaving care every year

Care leavers are about nine times more likely to not be in education, training or employment when they enter adulthood, according to Plymouth City Council, which has launched a campaign to help them find work.

Young people are released from the care system once they turn 18 but have the option to maintain a relationship with staff.

One care leaver, James, 19, who left the system a year ago, told the BBC: "I really found it hard to find my footing, to be honest."

Senior council members said care leavers did "face significant challenges", but that businesses would benefit from giving them opportunities.

Safety nets

James said he noticed differences between himself and people the same age who had not been through the care system, and many of his peers who left care had not been able to find education or employment.

He said: "I had some guidance from my care worker, but, generally, I had a big wide world in front of me that I didn't know what I wanted to do in.

"I think that's just disastrous for care leavers.

"At the end of the day, a lot of my peers have family they can fall back on; they have a household they can come back to. I don't have the same safety nets.

James, who is studying economics at university, also said it could be difficult for people to understand the challenges care leavers faced.

'Different to everyone'

He said: "A lot people find it difficult to see the impact it can have to not have that [family] network and also the role models that parents give to people.

"As much as I assimilate and get a long with them [people with traditional families], I do have a difference.

"You can see it during Christmas. A lot of my friends are going home for Christmas, they are going to their parents' house.

"I am realistically never going to have that in a traditional sense."

'Basically kicked out'

James said he had seen people struggle to adapt to leaving the system.

He said: "The thing is about care is that, at 18, unless you organise to stay longer, you are basically kicked out in a way."

He added one person he was in care with ended up "living off benefits" because they "didn't know what to do".

Jemima Laing, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for children’s social care, said the city saw 180 young people leaving care every year on average over the last five years.

She said: "Care leavers face significant challenges over and above those normally experienced by our children and young people, but, with the right support, they can succeed in managing the move to independent living and a career.

"Offering a care leaver a job opportunity will give businesses a chance to invest in young people who have bright ideas and shows that they are a supportive organisation willing to give young people a chance at starting a career."