Care leavers’ transitions to independence

There have been a few times where I’ve had a LAC review and my IRO would bring up something that I’ve gone to the doctors for, in front of like my social worker and my carers, and it’s just... and it just made me think like: ‘I can’t really go to the doctor about anything that’s really personal,’ because even at age like 16, because even then it’s not personal, because it’s not... it’s not private. But just little things like that, mostly, as I got older. But yeah, I mean college has definitely helped with that, but I think a lot of it is to do with... Like I mean, my social worker, like the social worker visits, which have to be quite frequent – that’s nice, I guess in a way – but also, it’s... it’s your... your social worker’s job, but your life, so like when they’re off and you need them, you can’t really do anything about it. Yeah, just things like that, I guess. It’s not... it’s just very... it’s a system, it’s very systematic and I think that was... that’s... it’s not a great aspect.

It was when I was living in [County], that’s when things started looking up a little bit, because I managed to get my life in control, and ‘cos when, when I was in sixth form, I didn’t get good grades like I, I was, I, yeah… I didn’t really have good grades, and, I knew I wanted to go back to uni but I didn’t have the qualifications to be able to go to like a good uni like [City]. I knew I wanted to come here, ‘cos like it was during my travels, I travelled to [City] and I met somebody who lives here, and I fell in love with the place and always said to myself, if ever I could come to this uni, I would love to do that, and so, that’s why I went back to college to get the grades to come here. And that’s sort of when things got better because I had, I gave myself like that structure and I had that motivation and ambition, and that I was able to find a place to go.

It was, I had requested because I now have to travel a stupid amount of time to go to college, but I also can’t control when or where or what social services do, so it was kind of one of them, I was like: ‘OK.’

Oh, I see. So how far are you from where you need to go?

Two hours.

Like, by...?

Train.

Oh, OK, that is quite a distance. OK, so you’re spending two hours a day going and then two hours coming back to go to college?

Yeah, because I’ve almost finished and I couldn’t get a transfer this late into term.

Oh, I see, OK, OK.

I’m in my last year, so it was, like, not going to happen and I was like: ‘there is no way I’m repeating A-levels.’

Mm, I see, OK. OK, so, that actually sounds really tough.

A lot of care leavers do have it tough. Like, a lot of us just end up homeless within the first two years, so it’s, yeah, an interesting system.

So then, teachers were giving grades, but then they had to go on evidence that was in front of them.

Because I’d only been there at the start of the year, so from September to November, and then had been gone all that time until the end of the year, when it came to results day, I had grades such as 2s, and 3s, and 4s, and 5s, and I had a social worker saying, “Well done, you’ve got one 4, and one 5, that’s amazing, you’re my best...”   what did she call me... her best young person, “you’ve actually passed some GCSEs and I needed some passes, I needed some wins.” It was like it was about her rather than it was about me, you know like sh... and I then said, “Actually, you’re saying congratulations, but I think this is a really poor set of results,” “Oh, don’t be so harsh on yourself, they’re great,” or, “amazing,” I went: “No, it’s poor because this isn’t what I was capable of, I’m a very intelligent young person. If I want to go to university, you need at least five GCSEs, and I haven’t got them,” and I says, “and I know I can get them.”

So, I got a social worker when I moved there. It wasn’t the best experience either. My first social worker was very... it was sort of like he was not interested in the job. I had to ask for things like a thousand times before I got them.

A lot of times it was things I really needed, things like college. I was already out of education for eight months ’cause I was in [City], and when I went back to [City], I wanted to do sixth form, ’cause I’ve always wanted to do medicine and going the college route is not really the best.

OK.

So, I tried to apply for sixth form. Asked him for help, but he was not... yeah, he was not the best. He said it was impossible to do it. And now after going to college and meeting people, I’ve realised it wasn’t impossible. But... yeah.

Between school to college I think my PA was quite supportive. Actually, no, she wasn’t. I think mental health services were more supportive because they knew it was a big change. And my school, I don’t really know. I think they were just sick of me ’cause I just never went in, so they didn’t really care. And when I started college, my tutor was really nice, so she was quite supportive, which was good.

It was definitely more like I was given more independence than when I was at school, but I feel like at that time I was ready for an education, and I didn’t find it too much of a difference. So yeah, and ’cause I was on... I was doing less than... like, I was in less lessons than the rest of my year because I’d already done, like, half the course, that made it easier.

I was in another town as well, away from my hometown. It was only like a 20-minute drive, but I don’t drive, so having to learn when the bus schedules are and to get to school, ’cause I was still in full-time education at sixth form at the time, because I’d redone Year 12 because I wanted to focus completely on my studies when I got into care, which I wasn’t able to do originally. So, it was quite stressful having to balance sixth form, going into the new place, being in and leaving care, getting a new PA, instead of a social worker, and then they were telling me... Like, I still have the, the same PA now, but at the time she was saying how I need to learn the bus routes to get to school on my own. And the school was like... I had to get Universal Credit at the time ’cause I couldn’t work to make the rent and I had to make sure of budgeting, and it was very, very stressful when it first happened.

I was... yeah, no, so I was in the flat, and I was... I was 18, I was in my second year of college, and it kind of all messed up ’cause obviously you’re... everything... so my second year everything grade-wise was based off... it was essentially like predictive grades, and stuff, so thank God I didn’t slack off for that first year and a half before Covid hit, after January. But I got a job, because we have to do placements for college as well, and you basically do it one day a week, all year, and then you have to like write about it, and you work in a care home. I worked in a care home, but they offered me a job straightaway ’cause I was already 18, and I had a... an early birthday, so they offered me a job straightaway, so I ended up just getting paid for it… and then during Covid it was... it was really tough, ’cause like you just... you know these people for such a long time and then we had no staff, we have like... there was about 85 people in the home and I think about 40, 45 of them died,—

Ninna: They’ve been fantastic, and I think college have been really good. So, I’m in a special unit in a mainstream college and... yeah, and which has been fantastic.

Carer: Mm. Yeah, they’ve been very good at working at trying to work out what you need and getting ready for you coming, and then kind of getting to know you and kind of doing what they say they’re gonna do, and they’re good at that, and I think that’s really important for... well, for Ninna and everybody really about that things are quite safe and predictable.