Preparation - Phase 1

Stein (2008) states that many young people transitioning from out of home care miss out on the preparation stage.  The evidence provided in the 2009 CREATE Report Card corroborates this view.

In a survey of  471 young people who were leaving or had left care, CREATE found that only 36% knew they had a leaving care plan or that one was being developed (McDowall, 2009).  A third of this cohort reported they had little or no participation in the development of the leaving care plan.  The majority of young people who had left care reported they felt unhappy, quite unhappy or very unhappy about the planning process. In the same study, only 23% of the post-care cohort felt they had received enough information to adequately prepare them for leaving care. 

There are also significant variations in the scope, content and language within care plans across jurisdictions, and across government and non-government sector service providers.  This has the potential to exacerbate the issue.

Preparation and planning is fundamental to ensuring the transitioning to independence process has direction, is supported and that the young person has a sense of control over decisions about their future.  We also know that, when young people are able to build or maintain connections with biological or foster families, social or professional networks, their pathways out of care are typically much smoother than those experienced by other care leavers (AHURI Report, p.35).

Mendes and Moslehuddin (2006) state that in-care supports need to be followed by adequate preparation for independence and formal legislative and program responses to young people leaving care. (p. 122)  They advocate that ‘preparation for leaving care should involve a significant transition period including independent living skills programs, the provision of leaving care information and the involvement of suitable mentors.’ The importance of young people actively participating in defining their needs during transition is also highlighted.

Restating the essential components required in this phase of transitioning to independence and contrasting these with what is occurring in practice, it is evident that there is scope to improve the preparation phase.

The essential elements are identified as:

1. the approach to planning and/or preparation is tailored to meet the individual needs and circumstances of the young person;
2. planning and preparation commences while the young person is still in care - no later than age 15;5
3. the need for therapeutic support is considered and provided to young people where indicated, as part of the preparation phase (to address issues such as unresolved anger, grief and loss, anxiety, trauma and/or juvenile justice);
4. the young person is central to the planning and preparation process and is empowered to be an active participant;
5. the young person is supported through the preparation phase by a primary person or worker with whom they have a positive relationship;
6. preparation includes the development of a user friendly, leaving care plan that is used by the young person and their significant others to support their future.  This plan should:
   • detail the goals, actions required and person/s responsible to implement each action;
   • include mechanisms for monitoring and review of the plan at agreed intervals and amending as necessary to ensure it remains current;
   • incorporate actions that will ensure the young person is aware of, and knows how to access, their entitlements and records;
   • identify the relevant professional, personal and mentoring supports required to assist the young person through the transition process;
   • include a contingency plan acknowledging that a young person’s needs and circumstances can change at short notice.
7. the plan recognises the role of each part of the support system and facilitates the constructive engagement of the young person with specialist and/or mainstream services when and where appropriate.  This includes post care support.
8. based on the Looking after Children framework adopted by most jurisdictions, the eight priorities identified in the Australian Government’s National Strategy for Young Australians and Reid’s (2007) ‘seven pillars’ of successful transition referenced in the CREATE Report Card 2008, planning should focus on assisting the young person to:
   • secure post care accommodation;
   • participate in education, training, employment or other suitable activity;
   • develop core life skills such as managing money and meeting financial commitments, meal preparation, job applications and interviews, learning to drive, access to healthcare, social skills and relationships, legal services and advocacy;
   • access income support and other financial entitlements such as TILA, rent assistance and Youth Allowance;
   • know about and engage with relevant specialist and/or mainstream support services.  The advantages of disclosing care leaver status when accessing services is fully explained to, and understood by, the young person;
   • reconnect with/ or re-establish effective relationships with, family members where appropriate.
9. family conferencing is provided to support safe and effective reconnections with families, where appropriate and feasible;
10. preparation and planning recognises transitioning to independence as a gradual process
11. preparation and planning recognises the need for the young person to experiment and take risks but incorporates strategies to maintain support when these plans fail.  This is consistent with the literature on normal adolescent development and the experiences of most young people;
12. the carer is involved in the planning process with the young person, where appropriate;
13. the young person and their carer receive clear information about which agencies are involved in certain stages of the process as well as relevant organisational connections.

A mapping of the core elements and responsibilities for the Preparation Phase is at Attachment D.