RESEARCH Emotional bridge to be crossed The transition years can be challenging for both care leavers and their social workers who must identify gaps in the young persons support network. A study, reviewed by Ferdia Earle and Susannah Bowyer, suggests a way forward T he transition to independence is burdened with difficulties for many care leavers. Which is why emotional support networks are so important at this time, as Natasha Adley and Victoria Jupp Kina have shown in their small-scale qualitative study. Despite changes to the legislation and guidance governing social work with this group of young people, most care leavers have compressed and accelerated Offers of support may be refused and need to be repeated once the realities of independence have set in The research Getting behind the closed door of care leavers: Understanding the role of emotional support for young people leaving care, Adley A. and Jupp Kina V., Child & Family Social Work, 2014 transitions compared with other young people (Stein and Wade, 2000). Care leavers vulnerabilities reflect the issues that led them into care. As a group they are at high risk of homelessness, mental ill-health, social exclusion, teenage parenthood, offending and exploitation (all these studies cited in Bowyer, 2009). In light of evidence of the intense emotional impact of leaving care and the central role of stable and caring relationships in mediating this impact, there is a clear need to build practice using the quality of relationships as the lens through which we view what we do and plan to do (Care Inquiry, 2013): The weight of evidence, from all quarters, convinces us that the relationships with people who care for and about children are the golden thread in childrens lives. (Findings and recommendations of the Care Inquiry (2013: 2)) Adley and Kinas study drew on in-depth interviews with six care leavers aged 18 to 21 in an urban local authority in England, and included the use of a visual pride. Many participants struggled with being identified as a care leaver so they did not absorb information provided to them by the local authority. Some found it difficult to ask for help because they were ashamed to or felt they needed to prove they could cope: ... some people feel shame to say they need help, its easier to say no. I felt ashamed cos Im not good at budgeting. (T) The young people discussed adapting to being alone and vulnerability to historical experiences of loss and abandonment. E continues: there are certain things in their past they probably havent got over, and when youre living on your own you start to think about these things it comes back to you and you need a really strong support network. Planning for continued contact with professionals and carers can help with the risks of social isolation. As the Care Inquiry report underlined, positive relationships allow young people to Resources available from Research in Practice n Understanding adolescence this frontline briefing and accompanying tool outline some of the key areas of development applying to adolescence. n Risk-taking adolescents and child protection a strategic briefing outlining recent research on adolescent development. Emerging practice examples are highlighted and links provided for relevant papers and other sources of information. n That difficult age: Developing a more effective response to risks in adolescence an evidence scope looking at the risks facing some adolescents in the UK today to inform a distinctive adolescent-centred approach to working with adolescents. n Models of adolescent care provision a rapid review of this topic including key messages on effective work with young people who enter the care system as adolescents. Summarises evidence-based programmes in this field. R EFERENCES tool to promote reflection and guide the interview process. Five of the six rated the importance of an emotional support network as 10/10, yet participants tended to have only a couple of people in their closest circle. It is striking that none of the interviewees felt that any professional had worked with them to explore their emotional support network. Most participants said that, at the time of leaving care, they had felt ready to move on, but came to realise how unprepared they were. As E highlights: I had this glamorised thought of living on my own and having all my friends around and life being a big party, but it wasnt that. I was studying too and... I had to come home and cook and do the washing and the laundry... I was basically on my own. Like those parenting any teenager, those supporting care leavers should recognise that offers of support may be refused and need to be repeated once the realities of independence have set in. Young peoples initial refusal of support was associated with broader issues of timing, identity, lack of trust and sense of develop felt security, resilience and confidence in their ability to sustain relationships in the future. Participants in this study sometimes had difficulty relying on friends because they felt more adult than their peers: I made a lot of friends but I wouldnt really rely on them. At the end of the day theyre your friends, things can happen, so I dont want to put my everything in that. Leaving care is often a period in which young people test the reliability of support from their birth family and social networks, the outcomes of which can be uncertain. Many young people will need professional support in negotiating these relationships. Some participants linked their earlier life experiences with their ability to deal with emotions, highlighting the importance of professionals exploring the history of the young people they work with to understand how this might be affecting their present engagement. This small study provides valuable insight into what young people seek from workers in terms of emotional support and further indicates that: Some participants linked their earlier life experiences with their ability to deal with emotions Care leavers recommendations for practice: 1 Emotional support from professionals. Participants found the visual exercise used during interviews useful for facilitating this. The onus must be on the professional to overcome resistance to support and understand the important underlying factors this may mask. Professionals must recognise that offers of support may not be accepted initially but they should be repeated. 2 3 [t]hose working with care leavers should focus as much on the psychological and emotional needs of the young people as on the practical aspects involved, and they should focus also on identifying the social and relationship networks that will be able to provide young people with ongoing support. (Findings and recommendations of the Care Inquiry 2013: 19) It also suggests simple visual tools can help identify people important to the young person and the gaps in their support network. Susannah Bowyer is research and development manager and Ferdia Earle is research officer, Research in Practice