POLICY BRIEF: Measuring Outcomes for Care Leavers

Nikki Luke

September 2024 Policy Brief

Measuring Outcomes for Care Leavers

Keeping in Touch: looked after children and young people’s views on their contact arrangements

J.Selwyn and S.Lewis

December 2023 Journal article

Adoption and Fostering Volume 47: Issue: 2, pp.120–137

10.1177/03085759231170879

ORA record

Using the talking album to elicit the views of young children in foster care regarding a reading intervention

Winter K, Sebba J, Tah P, Connolly P, Roberts J, Millen S

1 November 2023 Journal article

Qualitative Social Work Volume 22: Issue: 6, pp.1175-1190

10.1177/14733250221122373

The effectiveness of book-gifting programmes to enhance the reading skills of children in care: A randomised controlled trial of ‘Reading Together’ in England

Connolly P, Sebba J, Winter K, Roberts J, Tah P, Millen S

2 October 2023 Journal article

Children and Youth Services Review Volume 153, p107097

10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107097

Exploring Local Authority Variation in Looked After Young People’s Subjective Well-being

Ellie Suh, Julie Selwyn

1 January 2023 Journal article

The British Journal of Social Work Volume 53: Issue: 1, pp.177–197

10.1093/bjsw/bcac117

ORA record

School experiences of Children in Need: Learning and support

Berridge D, Sebba J, Cartwright M, Staples E

1 December 2021 Journal article

British Educational Research Journal Volume 47: Issue: 6, pp.1700–1716

10.1002/berj.3750

‘Closing the gap’: the conditions under which children in care are most likely to catch up in mainstream schools

Sinclair I, Fletcher J, O'Higgins A, Luke N, Thomas S

28 September 2021 Journal article

Oxford Review of Education Volume 48: Issue: 2, pp.252-269

10.1080/03054985.2021.1967118

ORA record

Foster Carers’ Receptiveness to New Innovations and Programmes: An Example from the Introduction of Social Pedagogy to UK Foster Care

Samantha McDermid, Helen Trivedi, Lisa Holmes, Janet Boddy

23 July 2021 Journal article

The British Journal of Social Work Volume

10.1093/bjsw/bcab152

ORA record

ORA record

Children in care in education: who is entered for exams and who reaches critical thresholds of success at age 16?

O'Higgins A, Luke N, Strand S

29 June 2021 Journal article

British Educational Research Journal Volume 47: Issue: 6, pp.1522-1539

10.1002/berj.3736

ORA record

Conceptualising care in children’s social services

Neagu M

6 April 2021 Journal article

The British Journal of Social Work Volume 51: Issue: 6, pp.2080-2096

10.1093/bjsw/bcab060

ORA record

Working in the borderlands: critical perspectives on doctoral education

Carter S, Smith K, Harrison N

3 April 2021 Journal article

Teaching in Higher Education Volume 26: Issue: 3, pp.283-292

10.1080/13562517.2021.1911098

Employment and further study outcomes for care-experienced graduates in the UK

Harrison N, Baker Z, Stevenson J

20 December 2020 Journal article

Higher Education Volume 83: Issue: 2, pp.357-378

10.1007/s10734-020-00660-w

ORA record

Institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation of children 2: policy and practice recommendations for global, national, and local actors

Goldman PS, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Bradford B, Christopoulos A, Lim Ah ken P, Cuthbert C, Duchinsky R, Fox NA, Grigoras S, Gunnar M, Ibrahim RW, Johnson D, et al

23 June 2020 Journal article

Lancet Child and Adolescent Health Volume 4: Issue: 8, pp.606-633

10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30060-2

ORA record

The education of children in care and children in need: Who falls behind and when?

Sinclair I, Luke N, Fletcher J, O'Higgins A, Strand S, Berridge D, Sebba J, Thomas S

24 January 2020 Journal article

Child and Family Social Work Volume 25: Issue: 3, pp.536-547

10.1111/cfs.12719

I wish someone would explain why I am in care”: The impact of children and young people’s lack of understanding of why they are in out-of-home care on their well-being and felt security

Julie Selwyn and Jo Staines

9 January 2020 Journal article

Child and Family Social Work Volume 25: Issue: 1, pp.97-106

10.1111/cfs.12721

ORA record

Who do they think they are: making sense of self in residential care, foster care, and adoption

Neagu M, Sebba J

3 August 2019 Journal article

Children and Youth Services Volume 105

10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104449

ORA record

Teenagers in foster care: Issues, themes, and debates from and for practice and policy

Shuker L, Sebba J, Höjer I

August 2019 Journal article

Child & Family Social Work Volume 24: Issue: 3, pp.349-353

10.1111/cfs.12650

Conceptualising educational provision for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in England

Eleanor Ott, Aoife O’Higgins

26 July 2019 Journal article

Journal: Oxford Review of Education Volume:45 Issue:4, pp.556 – 572

10.1080/03054985.2019.1607274

ORA record

The role of the Virtual School in supporting improved educational outcomes for children in care

Sebba J, Berridge D

26 July 2019 Journal article

Oxford Review of Education Volume 45: Issue: 4, pp.538-555

10.1080/03054985.2019.1600489

ORA record

Children in care or in need: educational progress at home and in care

Sinclair I, Luke N, Berridge D

26 July 2019 Journal article

Oxford Review of Education Volume 45: Issue: 4, pp.443-460

10.1080/03054985.2019.1600488

ORA record

The subjective well-being of children and young people in out of home care: psychometric analyses of the “Your Life, Your Care” survey

Mary F. Zhang & Julie Selwyn

13 July 2019 Journal article

Child Indicators Research Volume 47: Issue: 2, pp.120–137

10.1007%2Fs12187-019-09658-y

ORA record

The educational progress and outcomes of children in care: editorial

Sebba J, Luke N

4 July 2019 Journal article

Oxford Review of Education Volume 45: Issue: 4, pp.435-442

10.1080/03054985.2019.1622281

Students-as-insurers: Rethinking ‘risk’ for disadvantaged young people considering higher education in England

Harrison N

3 July 2019 Journal article

Journal of Youth Studies Volume 22: Issue: 6, pp.752,771

10.1080/13676261.2018.1535174

ORA record

Mature female learners activating agency after completion of an education foundation degree: professional progression and the teacher shortage crisis

Bovill H, Harrison N, Smith H, Bennett V, McKenzie L

26 June 2019 Journal article

Research Papers in Education Volume 36: Issue 2, pp196-215

10.1080/02671522.2019.1633565

Experts, knowledge and criticality in the age of ‘alternative facts’: re-examining the contribution of higher education

Harrison, N, Luckett, K

3 April 2019 Journal article
Journal:Teaching in Higher Education Volume:24 Issue:3, pp.259 – 271

The Role of the Virtual School in supporting improved educational outcomes for children in care

SEBBA, JUDITH, Berridge, D

Journal article
Journal:Oxford Review of Education

Experts, knowledge and criticality in the age of ‘alternative facts’: re-examining the contribution of higher education

Harrison N, Luckett K

20 February 2019 Journal article

Teaching in Higher Education Volume 24: Issue: 3, pp.259-271

10.1080/13562517.2019.1578577

ORA record

Patterns of participation in higher education for care-experienced students in England: why has there not been more progress?

Harrison N

19 February 2019 Journal article

Studies in Higher Education Volume 45: Issue: 9, pp.1986-2000

10.1080/03075079.2019.1582014

ORA record

Patterns of participation in higher education for care-experienced students in England: why has there not been more progress?

HARRISON, N

19 February 2019 Journal article
Journal:Studies in Higher Education, Taylor & Francis (Routledge)

Abstract: Children who spend time in the care of their local authority, usually due to neglect or abuse within the birth family, tend to experience significant educational disruption and have lower educational outcomes, on average, than other young people. However, little is known about those subsequently participating in higher education, who comprise just under one percent of the student body in England. The paper synthesises three contrasting datasets to map participation patterns among care-experienced young people for the first time. Considerably more enter higher education than previously thought, but they remain significantly less likely to participate than other young people. Furthermore, they tend to enter later, with less prestigious qualifications and to lower status institutions. The paper concludes by discussing key differences between the datasets, reflecting on difficulties with identifying and recording care-experienced students which may account for an apparent lack of progress in encouraging their participation despite concerted policy efforts.

Previous life experiences and the vulnerability of children adopted from out-of-home care: The impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences and child welfare decision making

Tregeagle S, Moggach L, Trivedi H, Ward H

January 2019 Journal article

Children & Youth Services Review Volume 96, pp.55-63

10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.11.028

ORA record

Access, participation and capabilities: theorising the contribution of university bursaries to students’ well-being, flourishing and success

Harrison, N, Davies, S, Harris, R, Waller, R

2 November 2018 Journal article
Journal:Cambridge Journal of Education Volume:48Issue:6, pp.677 – 695

© 2018, © 2018 University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education. For the last 10 years, universities in England have been expected to offer financial support to low-income students alongside that provided by government. These bursaries were initially conceived in terms of improving access for under-represented groups, but attention has turned to their role in supporting student retention and success. This paper reports on two qualitative studies undertaken by contrasting universities that have been brought together due to their complementary findings. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with a total of 98 students. Students’ views on bursaries and how they impact on their lives are reported and used to develop a descriptive model of the web of choices that students have in balancing finances and time. This is contextualised within Sen’s ‘capabilities approach’, to argue that providing access to higher education is insufficient if disadvantaged students are not able to flourish by participating fully in the university experience.

10.1080/0305764X.2017.1401586

Using the Lens of ‘Possible Selves’ to Explore Access to Higher Education: A New Conceptual Model for Practice, Policy, and Research

Harrison, N

Journal:Social SciencesVolume:7Issue:10, MDPI AG, pp.209 – 209

The concept of ‘aspiration-raising’ has been ubiquitous in the discussion of differential rates of participation in higher education in England for many years. Potential students from disadvantaged backgrounds are constructed as setting their sights too low and therefore not considering higher education or ignoring elite universities that they could access. However, it is increasingly understood that aspiration-raising is unable to explain patterns of participation and that it risks ‘blaming the victim’ by failing to appreciate the structural constraints forged through their sociocultural context. The purpose of this paper is to present an alternative lens in the form of ‘possible selves’. This is drawn from the discipline of psychology and aims to explain how we all conceive and develop visions of ourselves in future states. These images create a motivational impetus for actions in the present in order to achieve a like-to-be self—or evade a like-to-avoid self. Notably, the theory takes specific account of the individual’s expectations and the importance of having a clear pathway towards a long-term destination. This paper provides an overview of the foundational theory and empirical evidence for a general readership, before presenting a new conceptual model focused on access to higher education. This is then used to explore the principles that might underpin interventions to support participation from disadvantaged groups within highly stratified systems, as well as suggesting a new policy agenda and priorities for future research.

10.3390/socsci7100209

Students-as-insurers: rethinking ‘risk’ for disadvantaged young people considering higher education in England

Harrison, N

Journal article
Journal:Journal of Youth Studies, Informa UK Limited, pp.1 – 20

10.1080/13676261.2018.1535174

Challenging discourses of aspiration: The role of expectations and attainment in access to higher education

Harrison, N, Waller, R

1 October 2018 Journal article
Journal:British Educational Research Journal Volume:44Issue:5, pp.914 – 938

© 2018 British Educational Research Association Raising the proportion of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds progressing to higher education has been a key policy objective for successive governments in the UK since the late 1990s. Often this has been conceptualised as a problem with their ‘aspirations’, with the solution being seen as the provision of ‘aspiration-raising’ activities to promote higher education to those thought to have the potential to progress. Recent large-scale studies cast strong doubt on this hypothesis by demonstrating that aspirations are not generally low, that different social groups have similar levels of aspiration and that school attainment accounts for nearly all the differences in participation rates between social groups. This article draws on data from a national project exploring efforts to widen participation across two generations of practitioner-managers in England, focusing on their conceptualisations of the field and their constructions of ‘successful’ activities. It uses the lens of ‘possible selves’ (Markus & Nurius,) to argue that too much policy emphasis has been placed on the aspirations of young people, rather than either their academic attainment or their expectations, which are shaped by the normative expectations of the adults surrounding them. In addition, the more expansive concepts of widening participation that were present a decade ago have become less common, with a shift towards activities with a clear role in institutional recruitment rather than social transformation. The article concludes with alternative suggestions for policy and practice.

10.1002/berj.3475

Residential Group Care as a Last Resort: Challenging the Rhetoric

Holmes L, Connolly C, Mortimer E, Hevesi R

3 July 2018 Journal article

Residential Treatment for Children & Youth Volume 35: Issue: 3, pp.209-224

10.1080/0886571X.2018.1455562

Is the care system to blame for the poor educational outcomes of children looked after? Evidence from a systematic review and national database analysis

Luke N, O'Higgins A

1 June 2018 Journal article

Children Australia Volume 43: Issue: 2, pp.135-151

10.1017/cha.2018.22

ORA record

Risk and resilience in the transition to adulthood from the point of view of care leavers and caseworkers

Sulimani-Aidan Y, Melkman E

May 2018 Journal article

Children & Youth Services Review Volume 88, pp.134-140

10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.03.012

What is the impact of placement type on educational and health outcomes of unaccompanied refugee minors? A systematic review of the evidence

O'Higgins AA, Ott EM, Shea MW

5 April 2018 Journal article

Clinical Child & Family Psychology Review Volume 21: Issue: 3, pp.354-365

10.1007/s10567-018-0256-7

ORA record

Good practice in parent and child fostering

Nikki Luke and Paul Adams

16 February 2018 Journal article

International Journal of Birth and Parent Education Volume 5: Issue: 2, pp.27-32

ORA record

Social support networks of care leavers: Mediating between childhood adversity and adult functioning

Melkman E, Benbenishty R

31 January 2018 Journal article

Children & Youth Services Review Volume 86: Issue: 1, pp.176-187

10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.01.040

ORA record

When is a child’s forensic statement deemed credible? A comparison of physical and sexual abuse cases.

Hershkowitz I, Melkman EP, Zur R

1 October 2017 Journal article

Child Maltreatment Volume 23: Issue: 2, pp.196-206

10.1177/1077559517734059

ORA record

Childhood adversity, social support networks and well-being among youth aging out of care: An exploratory study of mediation

Melkman EP

1 August 2017 Journal article

Child Abuse & Neglect Volume 72, pp.85-97

10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.07.020

ORA record

Modifiable predictors of depression following childhood maltreatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Braithwaite EC, O’Connor RM, Degli-Esposti M, Luke N, Bowes L

1 July 2017 Journal article

Translational Psychiatry Volume 7, p.e1162

10.1038/tp.2017.140

ORA record

Adoptive parents’ experiences of social support and attitudes towards adoption

Weistra SR, Luke N

1 April 2017 Journal article

Adoption and Fostering Volume 41: Issue: 3, pp.228-241

10.1177/0308575917708702

ORA record

The educational progress of young people in out-of-home care

Sebba, J, Luke, N, Berridge, D

1 April 2017 Journal article

Developing Practice Volume 47, pp.18-35

ORA record

Looked after children and young people’s views on what matters to their subjective well-being

Marsha Wood and Julie Selwyn

1 March 2017 Journal article

Adoption and Fostering Volume 41: Issue: 1, pp.20–34

10.1177/0308575916686034

ORA record

Looked after Children and Young People in England: Developing Measures of Subjective Well-Being

J. Selwyn, M. Wood & T. Newman

20 February 2016 Journal article

Child Indicators Research Volume 10: Issue: 2, pp.363–380

10.1093/bjsw/bcac117

ORA record

Study reveals key to education success for looked-after children

Berridge D, Sebba J, Luke N

8 December 2015 Journal article

Children and Young People Now Volume 2015: Issue: 25, pp.12-13

10.12968/cypn.2015.25.12

Situating maltreatment in the social context: Challenges for research

Luke N, Banerjee R

September 2013 Journal article

Developmental Review Volume 33: Issue: 3, pp.279-284

10.1016/j.dr.2013.07.001

ORA record

Differentiated associations between childhood maltreatment experiences and social understanding: A meta-analysis and systematic review

Luke N, Banerjee R

March 2013 Journal article

Developmental Review Volume 33: Issue: 1, pp.1-28

10.1016/j.dr.2012.10.001

ORA record

An exploratory review of the role of research mediators in social science

Sebba J

1 January 2013 Journal article

Evidence and Policy Volume 9: Issue: 3, pp.391-408

10.1332/174426413X662743

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Children’s reasoning about the self-presentational consequences of apologies and excuses following rule violations

Banerjee, R, Bennett, M, Luke, N

Journal article
Journal:British Journal of Developmental PsychologyVolume:28Issue:4, Wiley: 12 months, pp.799 – 815

10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01813.x

The destitution of young refugees in the UK

O'Higgins, AA

Journal article | Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration

Calculating the costs of local authority care for children with contrasting needs

Ward, H, Holmes, L

Journal:Child & Family Social Work, Wiley, pp.070907134924002

10.1111/j.1365-2206.2007.00517.x