The influence of informal social support on the lives of young people leaving state out-of-home care

This paper analyses the preliminary findings of a qualitative research project examining the informal supports available to young care leavers in their transition to adulthood. Of particular concern is the way care leavers use... [ view full abstract ]

This paper analyses the preliminary findings of a qualitative research project examining the informal supports available to young care leavers in their transition to adulthood. Of particular concern is the way care leavers use informal relationships to meet their basic needs. Supportive relationships are critical to all young people in the transition to adulthood. But positive, lasting relationships that form the basis of mainstream life are rare in the lives of care leavers. As a result they arrive at their notional independence far less prepared for its challenges than young people from the mainstream, for whom this transition tends to be a more gradual and managed process. Relatively little is known about the actual character of care leavers’ informal relationships, nor the specific ways that care leavers use them to meet their basic needs during their transition to independence. This research attempts to uncover some of the detail of their relationship with a community member who provides unpaid support. It examines the character, quality and pattern of interaction in the relationship with a person who they see as important to them. It aims to identify the factors in this relationship that assist in meeting the care leaver’s physical, financial and emotional needs. Ultimately, it aims to enhance existing and potential strategies for developing care leavers’ networks of informal, supportive relationships. This Doctoral research is being carried out in the Department of Social Work at Monash University, Australia.