TY - JOUR

T1 - Barriers and enablers to care-leavers engagement with multi-agency support: A scoping review

AU - Prendergast, Louise

AU - Davies, Ceryl Teleri

AU - Seddon, Diane

AU - Hartfiel, Ned

AU - Edwards, Rhiannon Tudor

PY - 2024/4

Y1 - 2024/4

N2 - AbstractBackgroundMany care-leavers experience poor individual and social outcomes. Care-leavers involvement with decision making and consistent supportive relationships with professionals can facilitate a more successful transition to independent living, including better well-being and social outcomes.PurposeNot all care-leavers engage with or participate in after-care services. There has been little systematic or structured modelling of what effective enablement through multi-agency support looks like, and the enablers and barriers to care-leaver engagement have not been identified.Design/methodologyA scoping review of the international literature was conducted. Eighteen papers were identified, and a thematic synthesis used to derive themes associated with barriers and enablers to care-leavers engagement with services, and subsequent outcomes. The findings were used to populate a logic model illustrating the relationship between the mechanisms contributing to better outcomes for care-leavers: including inputs, activities, and outputs.FindingsBarriers to engagement included: identity, independence, trust in services and inadequate support. Enablers included persistent and consistent support, time and turning points, and having an authentic trusted professional within the service. The key findings focused on the need for flexible and accessible services, a gradual introduction to the after-care concept and a proactive approach by professionals, especially immediately after leaving care.OriginalityThis research co-produced with care-leavers contributes to a better understanding of the nature of enablers and barriers to engagement with multi- agency support services. The initial logic model derived from the literature will inform the development and measurement of a practice model and toolkit for professionals.

AB - AbstractBackgroundMany care-leavers experience poor individual and social outcomes. Care-leavers involvement with decision making and consistent supportive relationships with professionals can facilitate a more successful transition to independent living, including better well-being and social outcomes.PurposeNot all care-leavers engage with or participate in after-care services. There has been little systematic or structured modelling of what effective enablement through multi-agency support looks like, and the enablers and barriers to care-leaver engagement have not been identified.Design/methodologyA scoping review of the international literature was conducted. Eighteen papers were identified, and a thematic synthesis used to derive themes associated with barriers and enablers to care-leavers engagement with services, and subsequent outcomes. The findings were used to populate a logic model illustrating the relationship between the mechanisms contributing to better outcomes for care-leavers: including inputs, activities, and outputs.FindingsBarriers to engagement included: identity, independence, trust in services and inadequate support. Enablers included persistent and consistent support, time and turning points, and having an authentic trusted professional within the service. The key findings focused on the need for flexible and accessible services, a gradual introduction to the after-care concept and a proactive approach by professionals, especially immediately after leaving care.OriginalityThis research co-produced with care-leavers contributes to a better understanding of the nature of enablers and barriers to engagement with multi- agency support services. The initial logic model derived from the literature will inform the development and measurement of a practice model and toolkit for professionals.

KW - Scoping review

KW - care-leavers

KW - engagement

KW - Multi-agency support

KW - logic-model

KW - Social Care

U2 - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107501

DO - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107501

M3 - Article

VL - 159

JO - Children and Youth Services Review

JF - Children and Youth Services Review

SN - 0190-7409

M1 - 107501

ER -