A personal story submitted anonymously by a worker on 8th October 2014.
Our young people are assigned a leaving care worker before their 16th birthday, these workers play an active and supportive role in our young peoples lives as they approach the transition from residential care to interdependent living. New initiatives being introduced to improve the continuation of relationships for young care leavers in my local area include ‘Peer mentoring’ and a ‘Facebook’ page. Although these initiatives are to be applauded they do nothing to facilitate the continuation of the relationships between young people and their residential staff, who for some, have been the most reliable and constant adults in their lives for many years.
Should these meaningful and nurturing relationships be replaced and forgotten so easily?
When is the right time for residential staff to take a back seat?