Relational wellbeing amongst care-experienced young people in transition in the context of Covid 19

Abstract

Care-experienced young people typically negotiate the transition to adulthood at a younger age than their peers in the general population and with less reliable access to support. Concerns have been raised that Covid 19 exacerbated the challenges they faced and widened the ‘care-gap’. The paper employs a relational wellbeing approach to explore young people's wellbeing and experiences of ‘having enough’, ‘being connected’ and ‘feeling good’ in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic. It presents three case examples and draws on data from 32 interviews with young people in England, to explore the impact that the presence or absence of ‘family-like’ ties had on the extent to which needs were met. Findings illuminated that feeling ‘connected’ did not ‘prevent’ fluctuations in ‘having enough’ or ‘feeling good’ (or less bad), but strong relational ties did assist young people as they navigated precarious times. For some, institutionally arranged care arrangements evolved, making way for deepening connections and the emergence of ‘family-like ties’, which were mutually supportive. For those living alone, or in transitional placements and who lacked a network of support during Covid 19, its absence was keenly felt. Young people's accounts also serve to reinforce the importance of professionals being attentive to who matters to them and taking their wishes and feeling into account in decision-making processes.