DHSSPS publish latest figures on Northern Ireland’s care leavers

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) has published a statistical bulletin summarising information on care leavers in Northern Ireland who left care during the year ending 31 March 2015.

Care Leavers Aged 16–18

Key findings indicate care leavers aged 16-18 continue to have a higher proportion of young people coping with disability (15%) than the general population (6%), and in terms of education, higher proportions of care leavers had a Statement of Educational Need (14%) 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 25% which remains much lower than for school leavers as a whole (79%). The proportion of young people leaving care with no qualifications was 26% in 2014/15.

Of care leavers for whom information was available, three in five (61%) were in education or training, 8% were working and 31% were unemployed or economically inactive.

Care Leavers Aged 19

Some 68% 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 26% of female care leavers aged 19 becoming mothers on or before their 19th birthday.

Of the care leavers for whom information was available, 66% were in education, training or employment, a small increase from 2013/14 (64%). This was higher than 19 year old care leavers in England, where 59% were in education, training or employment, and in Wales (55%).

You can download the publication here.