New report reveals challenges faced by NI care leavers

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety today published a statistical bulletin summarising information on care leavers in Northern Ireland who left care during the year ending 31 March 2014.

Key findings indicate care leavers aged 16-18 continue to have a higher proportion of young people coping with disability (12%) than the general population (6%), and in terms of education, higher proportions of care leavers had a Statement of Educational Need (19%) compared with the general school population (5%).

Three quarters of care leavers had GCSEs or other qualifications. However, the proportion of care leavers obtaining 5 GCSE’s (A*-C) or higher was 21% which remains much lower than for school leavers as a whole (79%). The proportion of young people leaving care with no qualifications was 28% in 2013/14, over 15 times that for general school leavers.

Of care leavers for whom information was available, two-thirds (67%) were in education or training, 10% were working and 23% were unemployed or economically inactive.

Three quarters of care leavers aged 19 were in contact with Health and Social Care Trusts at least once a month.

In terms of becoming a parent, 16% of all care leavers aged 19 were parents, with 21% of female care leavers aged 19 becoming mothers on or before their 19th birthday.

Of the care leavers for whom information was available, 64% were in education, training or employment, a small decrease from 2012/13 (69%). However, this was higher than 19 year old care leavers in England, where 59% were in education, training or employment, and in Wales (56%).

To download the publication, visit: http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/statistics/socialcare/care-leavers.htm