Support Young People who are Looked After or are Leaving Care — King's Trust Occupational Qualification Teaching & Education Revision
This element equips youth workers with the knowledge and skills to support young people who are looked after or leaving care. It explores the complex chall
Topic Synopsis
This element equips youth workers with the knowledge and skills to support young people who are looked after or leaving care. It explores the complex challenges these young people face, including placement instability, educational disruption, and emotional trauma, and emphasises relational, trauma-informed practice. Learners apply statutory guidance such as the Children Act 1989 and the Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010 to ensure rights and entitlements are upheld.
Key Concepts & Core Principles
- Youth Development Theories: Understand key models such as Erikson's psychosocial stages, Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, and the Positive Youth Development framework to inform your practice.
- Safeguarding and Child Protection: Know your legal duties under the Children Act 1989 and 2004, Working Together to Safeguard Children, and how to respond to disclosures of abuse or harm.
- Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: Apply the Equality Act 2010 in youth work settings, challenge discrimination, and create inclusive environments that respect different identities and backgrounds.
- Reflective Practice: Use models like Gibbs' Reflective Cycle or Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle to critically evaluate your own practice and improve outcomes for young people.
- Youth Work Principles: Embed the core values of voluntary participation, empowerment, and informal education in all your interactions with young people.
Exam Tips & Revision Strategies
- When completing assignments, consistently reference the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and local authority corporate parenting principles to ground your practice in the legal framework.
- Use a hypothetical case study to illustrate how you would build a trusting relationship with a care leaver, detailing specific communication techniques and advocacy actions.
- In assessed observations, highlight moments where you empowered the young person to make choices, demonstrating a rights-based approach and adherence to the principles of leaving care.
- Use real-world case studies or scenarios to demonstrate your ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practice, showing empathy and person-centred approaches.
- In evidence, explicitly map your actions to relevant legislation and the King’s Trust principles, showing how you uphold young people’s rights and promote their voice.
- When discussing support, always link back to the outcomes for the young person, using reflective practice to show how you evaluate and improve your interventions.
Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming that all looked after young people are in foster care, when many reside in residential settings, kinship care, or semi-independent accommodation.
- Misunderstanding the distinction between voluntary accommodation (Section 20) and care orders (Section 31), leading to errors in consent and decision-making responsibilities.
- Failing to recognise that support extends beyond age 18, including the ongoing role of the personal adviser and financial assistance until age 25.
- Assuming all looked-after young people have the same needs and experiences; failing to recognise the diversity of care histories and individual resilience.
- Overlooking the legal duty to support care leavers up to age 25, confusing it with the duties for children in care or assuming support ends at 18.
- Neglecting the importance of collaborative working with social workers, foster carers, and other agencies, leading to fragmented support.
Examiner Marking Points
- Award credit for demonstrating a clear understanding of the emotional, social, and educational impacts of being looked after, including disrupted attachments and delayed development.
- Credit should be given for practical strategies that promote resilience and independence, such as collaborative pathway planning and life skills coaching.
- Evidence must show application of legal duties, including the role of the corporate parent and the entitlement to a personal adviser up to age 25.
- Assessors should look for integration of safeguarding procedures and multi-agency collaboration, particularly with social care and education providers.
- Award credit for clearly explaining how experiences of being in care (e.g., multiple placements, disrupted education) impact a young person's emotional well-being and development.
- Award credit for demonstrating practical strategies to support a care leaver’s transition to independence, such as pathway planning, building a support network, and advocating for housing and financial entitlements.
- Award credit for accurately referencing key legislation and guidance, including the Children Act 1989, Children and Social Work Act 2017, and local authority duties as a corporate parent.