Getting by and getting ahead: the influence of informal relationships on the lives of young people leaving out of home care. Webinar by Dr Jacinta Waugh, Department of Social Work, Monash University.

Leaving care means the state ceases to have legal responsibility for young people in out-of-home care (alternative accommodation for those that cannot live with their parents) (Cashmore and Mendes 2008). Literature emphasises a gradual transition to adulthood and normative social experiences are necessary to counter adverse outcomes for care-experienced young people. Additionally, developmental and environmental resources are crucial in helping them make a successful transition. However, formal support systems may not always provide these resources. Hence, there is a growing interest in what informal support can offer in aiding care leavers’ access to resources to facilitate a smoother transition. In examining how informal social resources may assist in a gradual transition, an overall conceptual and analytical framework has been developed to explore how social capital and social support interact to access these resources. This presentation considers the value of this conceptual and analytical framework.

The study was conducted in Victoria, Australia, from 2016 to 2019. Eight care leavers and six nominated support people were interviewed. In order to illustrate the benefits of social capital and social support interactions, three case studies are presented to show interactional variation. The case studies exemplify the role of informal social capital and social support in meeting fundamental needs. In conclusion, the presentation discusses the benefits of social capital for young people leaving care and their implications.

About the presenter:
Jacinta Waugh is a Teaching Fellow and Researcher in the Department of Social Work at Monash University, Australia where she completed her PhD thesis on the influence of informal relationships on the lives of young people leaving out-of-home care. As a practising social worker, Jacinta has extensive experience working in the fields of income security, community health, youth homelessness, family support and counselling, in addition to research and policy. Her professional interest and research expertise is in working with disadvantaged young people, social capital and resiliency.

The webinar was on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, and was part of the regular webinar sessions held by the International Social Capital Association https://www.intsocialcapital.org/ as part of the Facebook group   / intsocialcapital   and LinkedIn group   / 13975650