Measuring Success for Care Leavers in England: Whose Definition Counts?

Information on care leaver outcomes in England is collected by local authorities to inform local services and national policy, but the focus of these measures reflects a narrow definition of ‘success’ imposed on care leavers by policy-makers and practitioners. Our article is a co-production by academics and care-experienced consultants, in which we conduct a rapid review of the journal articles, book chapters and Doctoral dissertations on definitions of ‘success’ for all young adults, drawing on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The analysis utilises expertise by experience to (a) compare these definitions against the measures currently collected for care leavers in England, and (b) centre the views of care leavers in considering how ‘success’ should be defined. We identify limitations of both depth and breadth in existing statutory outcome measures as indicators of success, and highlight how both quantitative and qualitative differences between care leavers and other young adults have implications for the types of outcomes that should be measured. We conclude that policy-makers and practitioners need a more comprehensive approach to understanding and measuring success using care leavers’ own definitions.