The launch of the review into early deaths of young people who have left care in England, is both shocking but sadly unsurprising for those of us working with care experienced young people: "Immense drop-off’ in support contributing to care leaver deaths in England, review says. Death rate three to four times higher than among general population blamed on isolation of those leaving care."
Even though the report is England specific, too often in Wales, we see young people who are left with little or no support when the reach 18. This is particularly true for young people who have had multiple 'placements'. Whilst we are able to provide high levels of support 24/7, many of the services young people need are much harder to access from 18.
When we see headlines like this, as featured in The Guardian today, it reminds us just how vital our approach to care and support is, for young people in care and as they move into their own accommodation. This is why we took the step to deliver residential children's homes, to create a seamless and trauma informed pathway, from residential care into our own supported accommodation.
At Llamau the people we support do not leave care on a fixed date. Instead, they leave when we know they are ready to leave. The same is true in our supported accommodation services, where we provide a nurturing, homely and caring environment to support young people as they become more independent.
This includes ensuring they have the right skills that give them the best possible opportunity to live their lives to their full potential. We are staunchly proud of this genuinely life improving approach. It has been at the core of our work for over 40 years and over 180,000 young people, women and children across Wales have benefitted as a result.
You can read the full Guardian article here: ‘Immense drop-off’ in support contributing to care leaver deaths in England, review says | Social care | The Guardian
Everyone who has ever supported us has ensured we are able to achieve outcomes here in Wales that show when we provide care and support we provide it with genuine compassion.