Looked-after children more fatalistic than peers, study finds

Young people in care have a “high level of fatalism” and believe they have little control over their lives, according to a new Department for Education report.

The report, called Aspiration of Children In Care, is based on interviews with 14 young people in foster care and 22 foster carers and children’s home staff.

It was found that most young people had common aspirations in life such as being part of a loving family and securing a good job and a nice home.

But few thought they could achieve these, believing themselves to be the victim of “bad luck or fate”. This made it hard to make decisions and gave them a lack of control over their lives.

The report added: “The majority felt they were frequently told what to do by the professionals involved in their lives and that they were not given the chance to have their say in matters to do with their lives. They would like support in decision-making, planning and coping with their emotions.”

Professionals working with looked-after children are being called on to provide confidence-boosting activities and support in basic decision-making, helping them to set clear goals. It was found that the most receptive ages for such support was 15 and 16.

Most of the young people surveyed admitted to having behaviour problems at school.

School staff are being urged to ensure they carefully balance support such as one-to-one sessions to address emotional development with ensuring that, as much as possible, they are treated the same as their peers.

Those recruiting foster carers are called on to remember that the position should also include being a role model to young people.