Young people leaving the care system in Liverpool face “cliff edge” of reduced support as they turn 18, with housing, mental health and social isolation among the biggest pressures, experts have warned. Up to a third could face homelessness within the first two years of leaving care.
November marks National Care Leavers Month, which highlights the challenges faced by young people as they move from children’s services into independent adulthood. For many, that transition happens suddenly and with limited help.
Phoebe White from the National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) said the moment a young person becomes an adult can be the most vulnerable point in their lives.
She said: “There’s this gap we sometimes refer to as the cliff edge of care. It’s when care leavers will be leaving this space where they are legally children and will get support from children’s social care services, but when they turn 18 years old, they are no longer under children’s social care. Their support differs, and often it’s a reduction in support.”
“One in three care leavers can experience homelessness in the first two years of leaving care… Mental health needs can sometimes be a lot more complex because of past experiences, and specialist support can be hard to access.”
A spokesperson for Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust said almost half of care leavers experience mental health difficulties, but the majority receive no support. They added that care leavers are more likely to face financial hardship, unstable housing, loneliness and poorer health outcomes compared to their peers. They described the move to adulthood as “suddenly having to manage housing, bills, budgeting and daily living tasks which previously may have been supported”.
Local organisations say practical help is vital. Safe Hands Liverpool, which supports vulnerable care leavers moving into their first home, says many young people are “expected to grow up overnight”.
Service manager Sarah Duke said: “Most of our young people live alone, so we provide solo provision properties where they basically have their own flat. What comes with that is massive responsibility – budgeting, bills, managing their health needs. These young people have got to grow up really fast.”
She added: “They don’t get to enjoy turning 18 like most of us do. They’re stressed and worrying about what that looks like for them. Our aim is to give them the confidence and skills to live positive, successful lives.”
More information is available at Safehands Liverpool | Supporting Young People to Achieve Independence.
