The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care (MacAllister, 2022) advocated for significant reform across children’s social care. Specific recommendations focus on care-experienced young people, reinforcing the state’s responsibility as corporate parent to adequately fund services to aid young people’s social, emotional, and physical wellbeing. The current financial context of the United Kingdom has led to cuts in funding and reduced services, significantly impacting on the health and wellbeing of care-experienced young people. Thus, this thesis is dedicated to highlighting such issues in the research domain to consider ways to improve young people’s experiences.  

Part one presents qualitative research which adopted Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the lived experience of care-experienced young people of moving to different places to live whilst in care. This research was prompted by existing research highlighting the significant impact that moving multiple times has on social, emotional, and educational development. Despite this, research conducted in England often neglected the voices of young people. Eight young people aged 16 to 25 shared their experiences. Themes included feeling Unvalued in the moving process, Blamed for placements ending unexpectedly, and the desire to feel Connected to others. Findings are considered through the novel lens of Honneth’s Recognition Theory (1996), inviting important recommendations for policy and practice.  

Part two comprises of a theoretical review considering the application of Minority Stress Theory (Meyer, 2003) to understand the significant mental health disparities that care-experienced individuals face compared to the general population. The review considers the additional stress that care-experienced people face because of their in-care identity, including experiences of direct discrimination and unintentional unfair treatment, and the impact this has on psychological wellbeing. Approaching mental health disparities through this novel lens invites unique practice and policy recommendations to support care-experienced individual’s mental health across the lifespan.