Contextualised responsiveness: care-leavers’ responses to risks and opportunities in a resource-constrained social environment

This South African qualitative study explicates the psychosocial process ‘contextualized responsiveness’, focussing on care-leavers’ responses to risks and opportunities within their social environments. The study utilized aspects of Charmaz’ grounded theory design. Participants were 31 South African care-leavers who had been out of care for one to seven years. By developing indigenous theories to describe the care-leaving journey, the study aims to fill the gap in theoretically informed research. The study presents insights into care-leavers’ cognitive appraisal of the social environment; reflective learning from past experiences; and navigating risks. The implications for practice suggest that young people in care need to develop skills to effectively recognize, assess, and respond to their social environment, while navigating risks. This involves observing and interpreting cues and engaging in reflective practice to foster continuous growth. Practitioners are encouraged to incorporate situational analysis training and reflective practice to elevate the responsiveness techniques of young people post-care.