The life outcomes of care-experienced individuals are evidently rooted in the quality of care, support, and aftercare they receive throughout their lives. Therefore, further exploration of these perspectives remains an important focus for ongoing research to continually improve outcomes for the care-experienced population. 

Part one of this thesis presents a qualitative synthesis exploring experiences of formal support provided by multi-agency professionals. This qualitative review explores experiences of formal support for care-experienced individuals, specifically those with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This paper focuses on the intersectionality of care-experience and neurodiversity, examining a broad network of perspectives to ascertain how these identities are perceived and supported by formal services.  The objective of this paper is to explore qualitative accounts of formal support for this minority population and provide insights for practice implications and recommendations for continued research. 

Part two of this thesis presents an empirical study aimed at defining the concept of ‘success’ by exploring the narratives of care-experienced adults, over the age of 25, who were historically placed in long-term foster care in England. This paper seeks to understand how success is defined and shaped across life stages for individuals who have experienced childhood adversity. The purpose of this study is to provide insight into what constitutes as meaningful outcomes of ‘success’ from the perspectives of care experienced adults, while also considering the wider implications, support needs, and recommendations for future research.