Exploring care leavers’ transitions to independence
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN62690012 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN62690012 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | CPMS 61508 |
- Submission date
- 22/01/2025
- Registration date
- 07/02/2025
- Last edited
- 29/04/2025
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Ongoing
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
‘Care leavers’ are young people who were in the care of their Local Authority for 13 weeks or more spanning their 16th birthday. Around 10,000 young people in England leave the care system annually when they turn 18 years old and 25% are former unaccompanied asylum-seeking care leavers (children seeking asylum who arrived in the UK without a parent or carer and are placed in Local Authority care). Many young adult care leavers struggle with a range of social, emotional, and mental health challenges and can face problems adjusting to a life of independence. It is important to understand care leavers' experiences to design and provide support services. Not much is known about the experiences of young adult care leavers from different backgrounds and what matters to them when they prepare to leave care. This study aims to find out more about the experiences of a diverse range of young adult care leavers and how they leave care. The study will find ways to improve information, support, and services.
Who can participate?
‘Care leavers’ aged 18-25 years old who have transitioned out of the care system
What does the study involve?
The objectives will be achieved by:
1. Gathering published information about Local Authorities’ services and support (both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic) for care leavers. The research will also look for past research studies about experiences of leaving care. Reviewing this information will help us to understand what to ask care leavers in interviews.
2. Interviewing up to 40 care leavers (18-25 years) from different backgrounds about leaving care and their current life. The interviews will be recorded on film if they are happy to do so. The participants will have a chance to read their interviews after it is typed up, and remove any information (if they like) before the research team looks in-depth at the interviews.
3. Writing about what matters to care leavers with illustrative quotes (written, audio or video) from the interviews. Short films will be prepared to be used in service improvement and teaching.
4. Asking 6-8 people in the social care sector, in three group meetings what they think of the resources and if there is anything that needs to be added or changed.
5. Sharing what is learned as a new section on Socialcaretalk.org, a free, public-facing website featuring social care experiences.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Benefits – The participants may feel empowered by sharing their voice and experience in an area that is under-researched and underrepresented.
Risks – The participants may experience post-traumatic stress or anxiety after sharing their experiences.
Where is the study run from?
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
April 2023 to November 2025
Who is funding the study?
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) School for Social Care Research (SSCR)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Suzanne Ii, suzanne.ii@phc.ox.ac.uk
Contact information
Principal Investigator
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences
University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter
Woodstock Road, Oxford
OX2 6GG
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-5128-0300 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0)7767755196 |
| suzanne.ii@phc.ox.ac.uk |
Public
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences
University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter
Woodstock Road, Oxford
OX2 6GG
United Kingdom
| Phone | +44(0)1865 617844 |
|---|---|
| elizabeth.woolliams@phc.ox.ac.uk |
Scientific
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences
University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road
Oxford
OX2 6GG
United Kingdom
| ORCID ID |
0000-0002-6496-4859 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0)1865 617844 |
| sue.ziebland@phc.ox.ac.uk |
Study information
| Study design | Qualitative narrative interview study |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Other |
| Secondary study design | |
| Study setting(s) | Built environment/local authority, Charity/Voluntary sector, Community, Home, Internet/virtual, Telephone, University/medical school/dental school, Workplace, Other |
| Study type | Other |
| Participant information sheet | Participant information can be found at: https://youtu.be/wgtHlUh7tgw?si=Iafr28Seu2NUTy63 |
| Scientific title | Exploring care leavers’ transitions to independence: A qualitative study to be published on Socialcaretalk.org for prospective care leavers, educators, service providers and policy makers |
| Study acronym | SCTCL |
| Study objectives | The purpose of the research: We would like to find out more about the experiences of a diverse range of young adult care leavers and how they leave care. We aim to find ways to improve information, support, and services. |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Approved 28/07/2023, Medical Sciences Interdivisional Research Ethics Committee (Research Services, Boundary Brook House, Churchill Drive, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7GB, United Kingdom; +44(0)1865 616575; ethics@medsci.ox.ac.uk), ref: R79689/RE001 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Understanding leaving care support and services to care leavers who transition out of the Local Authority care |
| Intervention | This is a qualitative, narrative interview study with up to 40 care leavers aged 18-25 years. The objectives are to: 1. Conduct a scoping review of Local Authorities' (LAs) service provision for the transition process out of care in England and a literature review around transition support, pathway planning and policy 2. Explore the perspectives of care leavers and their experiences transitioning out of care 3. Develop Socialcaretalk.org resources to inform and support young people through transition and guide improvements in the pathway planning process 4. Invite stakeholders to assess the new resource on Socialcaretalk.org |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure | Participant interviews at baseline will be taken to explore leaving care transitions and support given by local authorities. The One Sheet of Paper method (a mapping process to organise and produce thematic results) will be used. |
| Secondary outcome measures | There are no secondary outcome measures |
| Overall study start date | 01/04/2023 |
| Completion date | 30/11/2025 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Service user |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Upper age limit | 25 Years |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 40 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study. 2. Aged 18-25 years 3. Participant has been in the care of a Local Authority for 13 weeks or more spanning their 16th birthday. 4. The participant has transitioned out of the care system and is defined as a ‘care leaver’ according to the criteria set out above. |
| Key exclusion criteria | Participant is care experienced but has not been in the care of a Local Authority for 13 weeks or more, spanning their 16th birthday. |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/08/2023 |
| Date of final enrolment | 30/06/2025 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- England
- United Kingdom
Study participating centre
University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter
Woodstock Road, Oxford
OX2 6GG
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
University/education
Research Services, Boundary Brook House, Churchill Drive, Headington
Oxford
OX3 7GB
England
United Kingdom
| Phone | +44(0)1865 616575 |
|---|---|
| RGEA.Sponsor@admin.ox.ac.uk | |
| Website | https://www.ox.ac.uk/ |
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/052gg0110 |
Funders
Funder type
Government
Government organisation / National government
- Alternative name(s)
- NIHR School for Social Care Research, SSCR
- Location
- United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 30/11/2026 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Stored in non-publicly available repository |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Two planned publications in a peer-reviewed journal. One workshop with policy makers in collaboration with the National Children's Bureau. One workshop at the annual conference of the National Association of Virtual School Heads. |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during the current study will be stored in a non-publicly available repository MS&HERG Archive. The contact name is Ruth Sanders, ruth.sanders@phc.ox.ac.uk. |
Editorial Notes
29/04/2025: The recruitment end date was changed from 01/05/2025 to 30/06/2025.
11/03/2025: The recruitment end date was changed from 31/03/2025 to 01/05/2025.
22/01/2025: Study's existence confirmed by the Medical Sciences Interdivisional Research Ethics Committee, University of Oxford.
