Improving the Health of Children and Young People Leaving Care

Abstract

In this article Bob Broad identifies the health of care leavers as an emerging and significant issue in child care and, based on empirical findings, argues that improvements to their health is needed as a matter of some urgency. The article summarises recent health literature in the leaving care and looked after fields leading to the presentation of the main findings of a research project about the health needs of young people leaving care. The author argues that good health, however defined, needs to be seen from a holistic standpoint whereby the social, personal and emotional elements combine and are inter-related. Located within Quality Protects programmes, and other arrangements, properly funded, more flexible and accessible responses by professionals, as well as fuller involvement of the young people in decision-making processes, are seen as central to improved evidence-based health outputs. The author concludes that the research findings indicate that a much higher priority for health assessments is necessary, as are preventive and supportive strategies, at both personal and interagency levels, to alleviate some of the underlying and unhealthy causes of stress.