Abstract
M.A. (Clinical Social Work)
This qualitative study focuses on the description and assessment of care leavers’ application of social skills into independent living. Information was gathered through semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions. The sample comprised ten young men who had been in the care of GBTSA for at least two years and who left care at the age of 17-19 years between two and five years ago.
Findings of the study indicate that care leavers are faced with ongoing challenges that force them to mature more quickly than their other peers. As a result, care leavers often have to rely on skills learned while in care in dealing with these challenges. Care leavers’ understanding of skills learned and how they have used the skills in their adult life were assessed based on their lived experiences. This was done through care leavers identifying the skills they remember learning and reflecting on how they have applied these skills in their adult lives.
Based on the objectives of the study and its findings, recommendations are made which include: GBTSA to explore and develop a structured mentoring programme that can be incorporated with its independent living programme to provide ongoing support to care leavers. Concerns were identified in areas such as generalisation and internalisation of skills learned, applicability of skills in “real life” contexts and a need for an ongoing support base to motivate and encourage care leavers.