‘Actually There is a Brain in There’: Uncovering Complexity in Pathways Through Education for Young Adults Who Have Been in Care

Abstract

Internationally, research has highlighted disruption to the educational trajectories of young people in care, documenting concern about upheaval and poor educational outcomes. We present findings from English data arising from qualitative longitudinal research with care experienced people (16–32 years) who were also in education, employment or training. The analysis extends understanding of the experiences of those who achieve educational ‘success’, including those who followed non‐linear trajectories. The need for a flexible education system, and leaving care entitlements, which take into account the disruption experienced by young people in care and the consequent possibility of delayed educational pathways, is discussed.

Resilience, higher education and widening participation: generating change for care experienced students

“…Research confirms that young people in care often experience educational disruption (Hanrahan et al, 2019). Thirty-seven percent of participants were over the age of 22 when they took part in the study, suggesting that they had followed nonlinear trajectories to university.…”

“…Focusing on individual agency without understanding the associated structural constraints can lead to the deeper oppression of people by unjust social systems (van Breda, 2018) and can be used to justify a lack of appropriate institutional support (Mahdiani & Ungar, 2021, p. 64). This was evidenced by age based restrictions used by institutions to limit university support, despite research demonstrating that children in care frequently experience education disruptions and often become students later than their peers (Berridge, 2017;Hanrahan et al, 2019;Harrison, 2017).…”

Berufliche Integration von Jugendlichen in Institutionen der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe – Herausforderungen und Unterstützung

“…B. Groinig et al 2019;Hanrahan et al 2020). Care Leaver müssen mit Erreichen der Volljährigkeit -in der Regel mit 18 Jahren -aus dem Heim oder der Pflegefamilie ausziehen, weil die Unterstützung durch die Kinder-und Jugendhilfe endet.…”

‘We are the same as everyone else just with a different and unique backstory’: Identity, belonging and ‘othering’ within education for young people who are ‘looked after’

“…It builds upon our team's commitment to transformative research including youth work expertise whereby relationship development, participation and co‐production of knowledge are central (Gormally & Coburn, 2014). The utilisation of similar participatory techniques with young people who are looked after has been used by others to enable their voices to be heard as a means to both develop understandings of their experiences and needs (Hanrahan et al, 2019; Hooper & Gunn, 2014; Rogers, 2017; Wilson & Milne, 2013) and as an important means to ‘inform, and potentially improve, public services in the fields of social care and education’ (Mannay et al, 2019, p. 59).…”

“…For instance, Sebba et al (2015) have pointed out that being looked after itself is often not the reason for low outcomes, as in fact becoming ‘looked after’ can have a positive impact on the educational outcomes of young people who would otherwise be left ‘in need’. Moreover, studies by Brady and Gilligan (2019) and Hanrahan, Boddy, and Owen (2019) have highlighted that non‐traditional and non‐linear educational trajectories and transitions for young people and ‘care‐experienced’ adults are rarely considered meaning ‘educational successes’ can be underestimated. Nevertheless, a range of educational interventions have sought to address the relative achievement gap and have often been enabled through the allocation of additional resources such as the Pupil Premium fund in England (DfE, 2018a).…”