Moving from Dependence to Independence: a study of the experiences of 19 care leavers in a leaving care and after care support service in rural Victoria by Philip Mendes

2 Leaving care and disadvantage Victorian policy and legislation St Lukes’s Anglicare LCACSS program, and introduction of employment and mentoring programs.

3 Methodology: interviews with 19 young people involved in St Lukes’s program, and 11 young people in second round of interviews Qualitative, exploratory design In-depth, semi-structured interviews

4 Demographics and out of home care experience The 19 young people interviewed for this study ranged in age from 18 to 22 years. Nine were female and ten were male. Three were of indigenous background. Five of them were already parents, and two had already lost their own children into state out of home care.

5 Transitioning from out of home care The young people’s experiences of leaving care varied from good to poor. Most of the interviewees described St Luke’s as playing a positive role in assisting them during the leaving care process.

6 Housing Most of the young people reported that they had been successful in attaining secure and stable accommodation. A minority experienced some housing problems. Improved circumstances by second round, but still some problems.

7 Education, Training and Employment Educational outcomes were generally poor. Only three of the young people had completed the Year 12 Victorian Certificate of Education However, Most of the young people were currently involved in either part-time paid employment or work experience. One young person was working full-time. Three were working full-time by second round.

of the 19 young people were currently participating in, or had recently participated in, the St Luke’s employment support program. A number of the young people stated that the St Luke’s program had contributed significantly to positive educational and/or employment outcomes.

9 The independent living skills of the young people varied from good to poor. Most were reasonably adept at shopping, cooking, cleaning and washing. Others believed they did not have sufficient skills to live independently. Budgeting and bill payment tended to be problematic Most coping with budgeting and shopping skills by second round.

10 Attaining a driving licence was also a major challenge. Only four had attained their probationary licence, and two of them had managed to lose it due to accidents. Still problematic at second round.

11 The health of the young people varied. Some reported having good physical and emotional health. But eight of them had a significant physical or intellectual disability. 15 of the young people reported experiencing mild to significant anxiety and/or depression either now or in the recent past which they attributed to their adverse childhood experiences. Nevertheless, a number in this group said they were currently coping okay, and felt they had access to good personal or professional supports. Five of the young people also reported significant substance abuse which tended to be a response to stress or emotional pain. Improvements in mental health by second round, but four still had difficulties. Also most had addressed substance use issues.

12 Most of the young people receive support from social networks consisting of friends, partners, family and former carers. However, a number of the young people felt let down by friends and partners who had proved untrustworthy, and consequently experienced some loneliness and social isolation. Most have good support from family and friends by second round

of the 18 young people were currently in, or had recently participated in, the mentoring program. Some of the positive outcomes cited included assisting with self-confidence and maturation, social and communication skills, providing good advice, and just having fun. However, a couple of the mentoring relationships had not worked as well. Only two remain active in mentoring program.

14 The young people expressed varied views about the particular advantages and disadvantages of leaving care in regional or rural settings. Most named transport as a major deficit, arguing that the buses were irregular and inadequate. Social isolation and loneliness was also identified as a problem particularly for those living in remote settings. Another difficulty was the stigma associated with being a care leaver in a small community

15 Post Care supports It appears that a range of personal and social supports are helpful to assist young people after their transition from care. These include both formal supports provided by professional youth welfare services, and those offered informally by family, partner’s family and friends. The young people varied in their support needs. Some required only minimal assistance. Those with learning disabilities, substance abuse issues and poor emotional or mental health required higher levels of support. The ongoing assistance provided by St Luke’s as a ‘good parent’ was important to most of the young people. This included both practical assistance to access structural supports, and emotional assistance via personal relationships with workers.

16 Overall Progress At the time of the first interview, most of the 19 young people would have fallen into Stein’s ‘moving on’ or ‘survivors’ categories. Two were progressing well in that they had both completed Year twelve, had significant personal supports, clear goals, stable housing and few risks. Another two were also going okay despite difficult backgrounds. Another eleven were progressing okay, but still rather vulnerable with some risks such as social isolation, disability, and potential housing instability. A further three were quite vulnerable with the risks such as disability, social isolation and housing instability outweighing the positives, and a clear need for stronger supports around them. At the second interview, most of the 11 young people interviewed had made further progress. There were clear improvements in participation in training or employment, physical and mental health, and access to personal and social relationships and support networks. However, four young people still experienced significant mental health problems.

17 The findings of this study confirm that care leavers are not a homogenous group. Some were ready to leave care at 18 years of age to live independently with only minimal support. Others, particularly those with significant physical and/or intellectual disabilities, have found it more difficult to cope with independent living.

18 The leaving care and after care support service introduced by St Luke’s has made a significant difference to the lives of many of these young people via providing a safety net of community- based supports. Equally, the feedback from the young people suggests that there are a number of continuing service gaps which need to be addressed by more specialized assistance.

19 Overall, this study suggests the importance of providing a broad structure of community-based supports for care leavers that attempts at least in part to replicate the usual supports that most young people in the community take for granted as they undertake the long transition from dependence to independent living.