Young people deserve empathy and love, but our children’s care system is failing – it needs a complete overhaul

Gavin Williamson’s ‘once in a generation’ review is long overdue. For things to really change the government should listen to those who have experienced the broken system first-hand

An average of 109 children enter the care system every day in the UK (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Every year a raft of statistics is produced from multiple sources detailing the outcomes of young people who are leaving the care system. Across every single field, care leaver cohorts are collectively achieving outcomes that should make any civilised society yearn for change.

Children and young people are taken into the care of the local authority in Britain when they cannot remain at home for many reasons, including if it is unsafe or if their parents are unable to look after them. The majority of these children will end up in foster care, some will go to children's homes, other placements include young offenders’ institutions, care homes, and hostels. Only around 3 per cent of children in care will be adopted.

The government’s own figures report that 30 per cent of care leavers aged 18 are not in education, work or training. This increases to 39 per cent of care leavers aged 19 to 21, and compares to a national average for the wider population of young people of 12 per cent who are not in not in education, work or training. Only 6 per cent of all care leavers go into higher education by the age of 19. 

“I did quite well academically and socially, and it wasn’t until my grandad passed away when I was 14 that everything went downhill in my life,” said one 18-year-old care leaver we worked with. “So mental health, drugs, homelessness, poor education – it was self-destruct mode and I couldn’t see myself coming out of it. A lot of professionals I was working with kind of gave up on me.”  

Home for Good estimates an average of 109 children enter the care system every day in the UK, and that one-third of care leavers become homeless within the first two years of leaving the care system. Approximately a quarter of homeless people are care experienced. Meanwhile, the Care Leavers Association and Department for Health has reported that after leaving care 83 per cent of care leavers experience low self-esteem, 79 per cent experience anxiety, 75 per cent experience depression and 75 per cent experienced loneliness.  

And yet, through our own programmes supporting care leavers at Volunteering Matters, we see that those young people leaving the care system are amongst the strongest and most resilient people within a community.  

Our Grandmentors programme recruits volunteer mentors over the age of 50 and matches them to young care leavers, supporting them to build an equitable relationship aimed at enabling the young person to develop their agency and voice. Unlocking these strengths is helping care leavers to overcome structural barriers and bucking the trend for outcomes across relationships, housing, finance, and health.  

“I was living in a care home and couldn’t do simple things like eating properly or washing. I was suffering from social anxiety and would eat my food in my room in order not to have to socialise with anyone,” said a 19-year-old care leaver we worked with, “I somehow saw something in [my mentor] that I believed I could develop in myself, namely confidence and ambition.”  

All young people have a right to positive relationships. The things many of us may take for granted – empathy, love, a listening ear, advice and support – can transform a young person’s confidence, self-esteem and self-worth as they grow into adulthood.  And this is especially important for young people who may not have close family support networks around them.

So we at Volunteering Matters welcome Gavin Williamson’s recent announcement of a “once in a generation” review of the children’s care system, to be led by Frontline social care founder Josh MacAlister. It is vitally important, however, that young people who have been in the care system have their say. That they are able to share their experiences of the care system, and what they think it should achieve. We ask that it focuses on those experiencing the care system, and that professionals are asked to listen to the people who have been through it.  

We hope that one of the outcomes of the review is that the care system is no longer judged on the transactional things it statutorily offers young people, but on the richness and fulfilment of the lives that those young people go on to lead. Because the only way real change will be made is by listening to those who need change most.

Stephen Skeet is director of impact and business development for Volunteering Matters, a charity that partners with communities to overcome adversity, tackle social isolation and loneliness, improve health, develop skills and opportunities and make sure young people can lead change