ARU Accessible Summary

Research Summary – March 2021 www.aru.ac.uk Recommendations 1. To give clear and up-to-date information to all care leavers about the types of support available from the services they access. 2. To make sure all care leavers are able to access the same supports within their local authority, including practical and emotional support. This support needs to be what the individual needs and not what services think they need. 3. To make more support available to care leavers who have their children living with them. We recommend that care leavers with children should have key worker status so their children can go to nursery or school if needed during lockdowns. 4. To provide basic technology, like internet connection, a laptop, and a mobile phone to care leavers so they can stay connected and engage with education, employment, and services. This should be mandatory. 5. To help care leavers connect with others, by supporting them to set up support bubbles and providing face-to-face interaction where needed. This is very important for care leavers living on their own, as well as those with children. 6. To make sure care leavers always have someone in Leaving Care Services not connected to their case/care to talk to about their experiences and the support that they need. 7. To make sure that research about care leavers is done with them because this will make the findings and recommendations better fit what care leavers actually need and want. 8. To ask decision-makers in central government and local authorities to make a promise to care leavers about what they will do to improve support during Covid-19 and beyond. This promise needs to be time bound and acted upon.