Care leaver deaths review highlights the importance of relationships, continuity and support into adulthood

A major independent review into the early deaths of young people who had been in care has highlighted profound concerns about isolation, the transition to adulthood and the support available to young people after they leave care.

‘You really are on your own’: A study of the early deaths of young people who were in care was commissioned by the Department for Education and led by care-experienced author and broadcaster Ashley John-Baptiste and social work leader Clare Chamberlain.

The review examined the deaths of 112 care leavers aged 18–24 that were notified to the Department for Education during 2025. It estimates a death rate of around 130 per 100,000 care leavers in this age group – approximately three to four times that of other young people of the same age, although the report cautions about limitations in the available data. 40 of the 112 deaths were identified as likely suicides.

_{What does the review tell us?}

At the heart of the report is a powerful message about relationships and connection. The review describes young people moving from systems in which they may have had considerable professional involvement to circumstances where they were expected to manage much greater independence, sometimes with very limited relationships and support around them. It identifies three central areas of learning:

• being alone and readiness for adulthood
• the drop in levels of support
• the workforce supporting young people through the transition to adulthood

The report explores the experiences of six young people in greater depth, reflecting some of the circumstances identified across the wider group. These include young people in adult prisons, young women who had experienced the removal of their own children, young people seeking asylum, young people who died by suicide, young people who were murdered and those who died from medical conditions.

_{Independence needs to be accompanied by connection}

One of the strongest messages from the review is the need to think differently about what successful independence means. For most young adults, becoming independent is gradual. Families continue to provide advice, practical help, somewhere to return to, financial assistance and, importantly, someone who notices when things are going wrong. Care-experienced young people need those enduring relationships too.

The review highlights the risks when moving towards independence also means losing contact with trusted adults, established services and the networks that have previously provided support.

For services working with young people, this raises an important question: are we preparing young people simply to live independently, or helping them build the relationships, networks and support that enable them to thrive in adulthood?

_{A significant message for the workforce}

The findings also have important implications for the children and families workforce and for professionals across adult services, health, housing, education, criminal justice and the wider partnership.

Supporting a young person through the transition from care requires much more than completing a pathway plan or meeting statutory contact requirements. It requires professionals who understand the young person's history and lived experience; recognise vulnerability as young people enter adulthood; build and sustain trusting relationships; work effectively across organisational and service boundaries; and notice and respond when circumstances begin to deteriorate.

Continuity matters too. The review demonstrates how changes in professionals, services and levels of support can accumulate at a time when a young person may already be experiencing considerable change. This reinforces the importance of relationship-based and trauma-informed practice, professional curiosity, effective information sharing and genuinely integrated multi-agency working.

_{Moving beyond the cliff edge at 18}

The review challenges services to consider whether support is determined sufficiently by a young person's needs and readiness for adulthood, rather than primarily by age and service boundaries. This is particularly important for young people experiencing multiple or overlapping vulnerabilities – including mental ill health, homelessness, contact with the criminal justice system, serious health conditions, exploitation or the loss of their own children. The transition between children's and adult services can itself create risk if relationships, information and support are lost along the way. Effective transition planning therefore needs to start early and extend beyond organisational boundaries, with clarity about who will remain alongside the young person.

Alongside publication of the review, the Government announced £25 million this year to support the national rollout of a strengthened Staying Close programme, intended to increase access to housing models that combine accommodation with relationships, community and ongoing support. The Government has also highlighted wider changes to corporate parenting responsibilities, extending expectations to organisations including the NHS, jobcentres, prisons and probation services.

These developments reflect one of the clearest lessons from the review: supporting young people leaving care cannot be the responsibility of children's social care alone.

_{Relationships cannot end when services do}

Perhaps the most important challenge within ‘You really are on your own’ is about how we understand our collective responsibility towards young people who have been in care. A successful transition to adulthood should mean gaining independence while retaining connection – having people to turn to, people who know you and people who notice when something is wrong. For leaders, commissioners and practitioners, the report provides an important opportunity to reflect on transition arrangements, workforce practice and the strength of the relationships and networks surrounding care-experienced young people.

Read the full report: ‘You really are on your own’: A study of the early deaths of young people who were in care.