Abstract
Children with a disability (neurodevelopmental and/or mental health condition) are over-represented in state care populations. Care leavers with a disability have particular needs, and face additional barriers compared to other care leavers in terms of accessing assistance with education, employment, health, housing, emotional and social connections, and transport. Often there is a vacuum of support whereby neither mainstream aftercare services nor adult disability services provides the holistic support that is required. As a result, young people with disabilities are a high-risk group for poor outcomes. This chapter compares and contrasts the findings of two recent studies of care leavers with a disability in Australia and Northern Ireland. The Australian study involved a partnership with ten agencies to examine the needs and experiences of young people with a disability transitioning from out-of-home care (OHC) in the State of Victoria. There were two phases of data collection: focus groups with workers from six OHC and/or disability services, and interviews with 15 care leavers with a disability. The Northern Irish study had a two-stage approach involving a survey and case studies. Social workers in aftercare services completed surveys for each care leaver with a disability on their caseloads to profile the population. A purposive sample of care leavers were then selected as case studies, which involved interviews with care leavers, their birth parent/carer (if they were still domiciled with them) and their named worker. With permission, social care case files were also read to provide further background information on each case. Our joint findings indicate common themes for care leavers with disabilities across both jurisdictions including the areas of limited access to aftercare and specialist services; challenges to engagement in further education and employment; inadequate housing options; relationships with professionals; and access to informal support networks. Based on the findings from each study, the authors suggest a number of common policy and practice reforms required to improve outcomes for this group of care leavers.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of the American Psychiatric Association (5 ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Arnau Sabates, L., & Gilligan, R. (2015). What helps young care leavers to enter the world of work? Possible lessons learned from an exploratory study in Ireland and Catalonia. Children and Youth Services Review, 53, 185–191.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012). Australian social trends, March Quarter 2012. www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features40March+Quarter+2012#end8. Accessed 24 July 2015.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2003). Disability prevalence and trends. Canberra: AIHW. www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=6442455759. Accessed 24 July 2015.
Baker, C. (2011). Permanence and stability for disabled looked after children. Glasgow: Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services. www.iriss.org.uk/sites/default/files/iriss_insight11.pdf. Accessed 21 Sep 2015.
Courtney, M., Dworsky, A., Ruth, G., Havlicek, J., & Perez, A. (2007). Midwest evaluation of the adult functioning of former foster youth: Outcomes at age 21. Chicago: Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago.
Cousins, J. (2006). Every child is special: placing disabled children for permanence. London: British Association for Adoption and Fostering.
Cousins, J. (2009). Disability: Still taboo in family placement? Adoption and Fostering, 33(2), 54–65.
Cummins, P., Scott, D., & Scales, B. (2012). Report of the protecting Victoria’s vulnerable children inquiry. Melbourne: Department of Premier and Cabinet.
Commonwealth and State Disability Agreements (1998). https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/disabilityand-carers/program-services/government-international/commonwealth-state-and-territory-disability-agreements. Accessed August 8, 2016.
Department of Human Services (2006). A guide for disability service practitioners. Melbourne: State Government Victoria.
DHSSPSNI (2005). Leaving and after care–Guidance and regulations: Volume 8. London: Stationery Office.
DHSSPSNI (2012). Standards for Leaving Care Services in NI. Belfast: DHSSPSNI.
Edwards, R. (2010). Nobody knows: Young people with disability leaving care. Parity, 23(5), 20–21.
Ellem, K., Wilson, J., O’Connor, M., & Macdonald, S. (2012). Supporting young people with mild/borderline intellectual disability exiting state out-of-home care: Directions for practice. Developing Practice, 32, 53–65.
Fudge Schormans, A., & Rooke, J. (2008). When there are no choices: The consequences of a lack of adult living placements for young adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities leaving child welfare care. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 14(1), 107–126.
Goldblatt, B., Edwards, R., McHugh, M., Katz, I., Abello, D., Eastman, C., et al. (2010). Evaluation of the leaving care programme. Report for ageing, disability and home care department of human services. Sydney: University of New South Wales.
Hill, L., Baker, C., Kelly, B., & Dowling, S. (2015). Being counted? Examining the prevalence of looked-after disabled children and young people across the UK. Child and Family Social Work, June; (pp. 1–9). doi:10.1111/cfs.12239
Kelly, B., McShane, T., Davidson, G., & Pinkerton, J. (2014a). A review of literature on disabled care leavers and care leavers with mental health needs. Belfast: Queen’s University Belfast.
Kelly, B., Hanna-Trainor, L., Davidson, G., & Pinkerton, J. (2014b). A review of policy and legislation relating to care leavers with learning disabilities and/or mental health needs in Northern Ireland. Belfast: Queen’s University Belfast.
Kelly, B., Dowling, S., & Winter, K. (2015). The views and experiences of looked after disabled children and young people in care in Northern Ireland. Belfast: OFMDFM and Queen’s University Belfast.
Mendes, P., & Snow, P. (2014). The needs and experiences of young people with a disability transitioning from out-of-home care: The views of practitioners in Victoria, Australia. Children and Youth Services Review, 36, 115–123.
Mendes, P., Johnson, G., & Moslehuddin, B. (2011). Young people leaving state out-of-home care: A research-based study of Australian policy and practice. North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing.
Perry, B. L. (2006). Understanding social network disruption: The case of youth in foster care. Social Problems, 53(3), 371–391.
Rabiee, P., Priestley, M., & Knowles, J. (2001). Whatever next? Young disabled people leaving care. Leeds: First Key Ltd.
Shakespeare, T. (2013). The social model of disability. In L. J. Davis (Ed.), The disability studies reader (pp. 216–221). London: Routledge.
Snow, P. C. (2009). Child maltreatment, mental health and oral language competence: Inviting speech language pathology to the prevention table. International Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 11(12), 95–103.
Snow, P. C., Mendes, P., & O’Donohue, D. (2014). Young people with a disability leaving state care – Phase two report. Melbourne: Monash University.
Springer, K. W., Sheridan, J., Kuo, D., & Carnes, M. (2003). Long-term health outcomes of childhood abuse. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 18, 864–870.
Stein, M., & Munro, E. (Eds.) (2008). Young people’s transitions from care to adulthood: International research and practice. London: Jessica Kingsley.
Victorian Government (2013). Planning for leaving care, child protection manual, Advice no. 1418. Retrieved 1 Apr 2013, from http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/cpmanual/out-of-home-care/care-and-placement-planning/?a=660199
Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT) (2010). Good practice guidance on transition planning for young people leaving care with a disability. Derry: WHSCT.
Wyber, J. (2012) What are the risk factors in the abuse and treatment of children with disabilities?. Master of health science dissertation. Auckland: Auckland University of Technology.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2016 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Snow, P., Kelly, B., Mendes, P., O’Donohue, D. (2016). A Comparison of Young People with a Disability Transitioning from Out-of-Home Care in Australia and Northern Ireland. In: Mendes, P., Snow, P. (eds) Young People Transitioning from Out-of-Home Care. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55639-4_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55639-4_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-55638-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-55639-4
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)