Moving on: Multiple Transitions of Unaccompanied Child Migrants Leaving Care in England and Sweden

Abstract

This paper explores the priorities of young people who arrived in England or Sweden as unaccompanied minors and are leaving the care of the state to transition to adult life. Policy and practice for these young pe ople are themselves in transition in Europe, and we aim to contribute to the slender first person qualitative evidence base for those delivering services. Our methods comprised a scoping review of scholarly and grey literature, and group and individual interviews. Despite a commitment in both countries to listening to the voices of young people, we identified few studies representing the voices of unaccompanied care leavers. In both the literature and our interviews, health in a clinical sense was rarely among their priorities. Their accounts focused on the determinants of health, and in particular housing, education, food and employment. In Sweden, where services are universal rather than targeted, the Health and Social Care Board (Socialstyrelsen) notes the paradox of unaccompanied children being surrounded by adult supporters, none of whom takes overall responsibility for the young person and his/her everyday life. Those we spoke to describe the vital role played by foster carers, health and social care professionals and friends that they could rely on. The young people whose narratives appear in the research literature and those in our own sample are working hard to cope with multiple transitions and to manage health in its widest sense, whether by finding the right place to live or attending to their education or training.

Visibility, resilience, vulnerability in young migrants

“…In 2015, we undertook a participatory study of care leavers’ health and social care needs in England with 24 ethnically diverse care leavers some of whom had arrived as unaccompanied minors (Liabo et al, 2017). The following year, we carried out individual interviews with unaccompanied young migrants and learning disabled care leavers (see Roberts et al, 2017). As part of these follow-ups, a scoping review of UK and Swedish grey and scholarly literature (in English and Swedish) was undertaken, focussing on care leavers’ accounts of their health needs and priorities.…”

“…First-hand accounts from young migrants regarding their own health and welfare needs and priorities are lacking and the limited evidence shows that young migrants prioritised the determinants of health such as education, employment and housing rather than access to clinical services. The vital role of a trusted and caring contact, whether friend, health or social care provider, carer or official guardian, was underlined for Swedish and British settings (Roberts et al, 2017).…”

Moving on: Transitions out of care for young people with learning disabilities in England and Sweden

“…In 2015, we carried out a participatory study on the multiple transitions out of the care system of young people in an inner city local authority in England (Liabo et al, 2016). We found that two groups, youngsters with learning disabilities and unaccompanied migrants (Roberts et al, 2017), faced more than their fair share of challenges.…”