Risk, resilience and identity construction in the life narratives of young people leaving residential care

Schofield, Gillian, Larsson, Birgit and Ward, Emma ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7579-3215 (2017) Risk, resilience and identity construction in the life narratives of young people leaving residential care. Child and Family Social Work, 22 (2). 782–791. ISSN 1356-7500

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Abstract

The role of residential care for children has developed very differently internationally, but in all cultural contexts there are questions about the extent to which it can help young people recover from high risk backgrounds. In the UK, residential care has come to be seen as the placement of last resort, yet new government guidance on permanence has suggested that residential care can provide security and a sense of belonging. Narrative analysis of interviews with 20 care leavers identified their different pathways from birth families through residential care to early adulthood. Some experienced a transformation from a negative sense of self as victims or ‘bad children’ to survivors, while others continued to struggle. Key to successful turning points were four interacting factors, all associated with resilience; connection, agency, activity and coherence. These narratives revealed the importance of nurturing relationships and a sense of ‘family’, but also the role of support after leaving residential care, when transitions workers helped them to move on but stay connected. The study highlighted how residential care leavers from adverse backgrounds attribute very different meanings to their experiences, which affects identity construction, resilience and the need for support.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	risk,resilience,identity,transitions,residential care
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Social Work Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Business and Local Government Data Research Centre (former - to 2023) Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Child Protection & Family Support Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Centre for Research on Children and Families Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Lifespan Health
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	04 May 2016 12:00
Last Modified:	06 Jun 2024 14:55
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/58572
DOI:	10.1111/cfs.12295

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