A new report, published today (11th November), from the Rees Centre at the University of Oxford is calling for a rethink of how success is measured for young people leaving care.
The study, ‘Success – whose definition counts?’, outlines current national indicators, such as employment, education, and housing, fail to capture the achievements care-experienced young people value most.
Commissioned by Become, the national charity for children in care, the four-year project worked directly with care-experienced young people through a co-designed Design Group. Together, they created a new framework and ‘Success Survey’ to discover what matters to care leavers, including stability, relationships and everyday achievements often overlooked by official statistics.
‘Being a successful young adult is about so much more than being in work or education and living somewhere that professionals think it ‘suitable’ – so why are these the only outcomes measures nationally for care leaves?’ Nikki Luke, researcher from Oxford University, said. ‘Young people leaving care face a drop in support and are pushed prematurely into adulthood, and the government’s narrow definition of success doesn’t capture many of their achievements.
‘We were privileged to hear from care-experienced young people about what ‘success’ means to them, and to collaborate with our fantastic Design Group to think about how care leaver success might be measured.’
Clare Bracey, director of policy, campaigns and communication at Become, added: ‘Care-experienced young people have hopes and ambitions like anyone else, but current systems focus on ticking boxes rather than what a successful life actually means to them.’
The report finds current measures – education, employment, or housing – only offer a partial picture. Instead, care leavers defined success as a personal journey shaped by resilience and small everyday achievements.
One participant, Lucinda Fernandez Marvilha, 28, remarked: ‘This project is important because it shows care-experienced young people as whole people. Just because you’re struggling in one area doesn’t mean you’re struggling in all parts of your life.
‘When I was younger, I focused on my education (even though I found maths a real challenge) and I went on to complete my GCSEs, A levels, an undergraduate degree, and a postgraduate qualification.
‘After graduating, I moved back in with my foster carers while I figured out my next steps. Now, I’m using my experience of being in care to inform others, and to me, that’s being successful. Being care-experienced has helped me succeed.’
The report outlines six recommendations for policymakers, including investing in measures that reflect care leavers’ lived experiences and improving consistency in Pathway Plans.
In a collective foreword, members of the Future of Care Design Group wrote: ‘This study shifts the narrative. Professionals sometimes attach labels to us, but these labels don’t reflect everything about us as people. We want professionals to recognise that success is not ‘one size fits all’. Please see us as whole people — in daily interactions, in planning services, and in measuring success.
‘The government should be proud of us and not just use us for statistics all the time. They only care about processes, not our success.’
Photo: Miquel Parera/UnSplash
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