Abstract
Care leavers are at risk of experiencing adversity as they transition from the care of the Local Authority to independent living. Research shows that care leavers are at risk of social exclusion during this transition. This study aims to examine the role of peer relationships in care leavers’ experience of transitioning from care to independent living. Ten care leavers were interviewed about their experiences of this transition and their perception of the role of peer support during this time. The interviews were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. The following four themes were identified:
1) Shame and Abuse
2) Reliance on Peers
3) Trust
4) Connection to Others
The themes constructed in this paper give valuable insight into the nature of care leavers’ peer relationships, and how they interact with their journey out of the Local Authority care system. This research, as an initial study, is exploratory in nature and includes a small sample size without any longitudinal data. Future research is required to expand on the findings.