Prepare for Leaving Care Practice Guidance
Topic: Active implementation, International, Throughcare and aftercare, Voices of young people
Author: Chrissie Gale, Nigel Cantwell, Kenny McGhee, Kate Skinner
The Practice Guidance has been developed with the aim of building knowledge and skills of professionals, carers and other stakeholders responsible for supporting children and young people leaving care. The content was informed by the views of young care leavers.
The Practice Guidance has been developed mainly to inform and equip those who hold responsibility for supporting and guiding young people moving from care to adulthood and independence. First and foremost, this means those working directly with the care leavers on a day-to-day basis, notably carers and designated key workers. However, it also includes all those in such professions as health, education, housing, employment services, law and the judiciary. This Practice Guidance is also relevant for decision makers and policy-makers in these different fields, as well as for advocates for reform.
The development of the Practice Guidance was one component of the Prepare for Leaving Care: A Child Protection System that Works for Professionals and Young People, which is a two year project co-funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and led by SOS Children’s Villages and CELCIS. The project was implemented in five EU countries – Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania and Spain. It involved over 50 care experienced young people and 35 national partners including ministries, public authorities, ombudspersons, child and youth focused organisations.