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Health, health behaviours health promoting services for care leavers: perspectives of young people and LAC nurses
- Authors:
- MORGAN-TRIMMER Sarah, SPOONER Suzanne, AUDREY Suzanne
- Publisher:
- Cardiff University. School of Social Sciences
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 5
- Place of publication:
- Cardiff
Looked after children and adults with a prior history of being looked after tend to have poorer health and social outcomes, even when compared to populations with similar socioeconomic backgrounds. To investigate how looked after children view their own health, interviews were carried out with 16 young care leavers in south Wales. Focus group were also carried out with 14 looked after children’s (LAC) nurses. Young people identified emotional well-being as a primary health concern, with most interviewees having experience of mental health problems, stress and social isolation. A healthy diet, weight were all seen to contribute to good health and excessive alcohol consumption recognised as having detrimental effect. LAC nurses found that their work priorities were usually emotional and social care issues. The also felt that the area of emotional and mental health was one which could be improved and that those working directly with looked after children, such as carers, teachers, social workers would benefit from training and support from mental health professions. Barriers to services identified by LAC nurses included residential instability, long waiting lists, difficulties in transitioning to adult mental health services and the reluctance of some young people to engage in services. (Edited publisher abstract)