London mayor warned young people leaving care often encounter “care cliff” when they turn 18, reports Noah Vickers, Local Democracy Reporter

The “alarming” plight of young Londoners who grow up in care but do not then progress into higher education, employment or training has been urgently raised with Sir Sadiq Khan.

In a new report, the London mayor has been warned that young people leaving care often encounter a so-called “care cliff” when they turn 18, “where they are expected to live independently with only minimal support, unlike many of their peers”.

The issue has come under the spotlight in an investigation by the London Assembly, which found that more than one in three of the capital’s care leavers aged 19-21 are not in education, employment or training, while fewer than one in ten attend university.

The report, produced by the assembly’s economy, culture and skills committee, argues that Khan can “play a pivotal role” in providing these young people with greater support, including by lobbying the Government to stop them from being “penalised by the benefits system”.

The rules governing Universal Credit payments mean that people under the age of 25 receive a lower standard rate than older adults, because of the assumption that they are more likely to still live at home and have some financial support from their family. Despite the fact that care leavers lack this level of support, they still receive the lower rate.

“The evidence we received, and particularly the conversations we had with young people, brought home to us how difficult the sudden transition into adulthood can be for people with care experience,” the report states.

“Up until their 18th birthday, young people are in the care of their local authority and typically live with a foster carer. However, this arrangement abruptly ends once the young person turns 18.

“Although the local authority is still required to provide support, our evidence suggests that young people do not always find it adequate and can experience the transition out of care as a sudden rupture in their lives.”

As well as calling on ministers to ensure that the benefits system provides more support, the committee has urged the mayor to work with London’s universities to create a “basic support offer” for student care leavers. The report also says he should devise “a platform where all London boroughs can share employment or training opportunities arranged with local employers, making them accessible to all care-experienced Londoners”.

“Finding your way through life is challenging for us all, but none more-so than young care-experienced people, who often face incredibly difficult years growing up,” said Marina Ahmad, who chaired the committee during its investigation into the issue.

“Employment, education and training is essential to help people grow, yet we heard shocking statistics that show just how much of a challenge finding those opportunities is for care-experienced people.

“The experiences these young people face should not negatively impact their ability to better themselves, yet placements outside of their borough, lack of employment opportunities and a lack of available foster carers is a huge hurdle for them.”

Ahmad, a Labour member representing Lambeth and Southwark on the assembly, added: “Our recommendations come from the evidence we heard from young people, carers and employers, and if implemented, they could make a significant impact on the lives of these young people.

“We urge the mayor to push on with his work in this area to ensure London has a more-diverse workforce that represents the challenges many young Londoners face.”

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