VIGNETTE

Simon is 16 years old and has been living with his foster parents for the past four years. He generally gets on well with his foster parents, an older couple, and his time with them has been the most settled of his life. He hasn't told his foster parents or his friends that he is gay. He recently heard his foster carers discussing a news item on gay marriage following a motion in the local parliament calling for the introduction of same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. The proposal was rejected by politicians, and Simon's foster parents expressed their support for this position. In their discussion about the debate they sounded negative about gay people. He is starting to feel a bit down about this, particularly because some young people at school have been calling him names. His new social worker has been encouraging him to start thinking about what he wants to do when he leaves school and where he wants to live when he leaves foster care. He just wants to be himself. He hasn't told her he is gay. He thinks the best thing to do is to say nothing about that to anyone yet and wait for the day when he can leave school and leave care. It can't come too soon.

Introduction

The challenges that can go with being a care-experienced lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans (LGBT) young person, whether in out-of-home care, leaving care or after care, is an area that has received limited attention to date in terms of practice, services, policy and research. That, however, is beginning to change, encouraged by a growing international understanding regarding the importance of all facets of identity for young people in care and in their transition from the care system and their subsequent life experiences. The holistic and rights-based perspective on health and wellbeing underpinning this book is in keeping with the messages on what makes for best professional practice coming both from research and directly from young people themselves and those who care for and about them. It is that ‘whole person/whole system’ perspective that is needed to ensure that a care-experienced young person like Simon (see practice vignette) is positively supported.