Care leavers dying young due to isolation, review finds

Today [25, August 2026], the government published an independent review it commissioned into the early deaths of young people who have left care.

Led by author and broadcaster Ashley John-Baptiste and social work leader Clare Chamberlain, the review tells the stories of six young people who died between the ages of 18 and 24. Those who knew them describe them as devoted, bubbly, kind, and deeply loved. They were also, in the words of one young person quoted in the report, ‘on their own’.

Young care leavers facing profound isolation

The central finding was that young people leaving care are profoundly isolated. Services often respond to a young person’s wish for their own place. However, independence can arrive with an unexpected loneliness and no one close enough to notice when things go wrong.

The report sets out three things that must change:

1. How young people are prepared for adulthood
2. The sharp drop in help at age 18
3. The skills of the workforce supporting them

Major changes planned to strengthen support

In response, the government has pledged to drive forward the national rollout of connected housing options for those leaving care, starting with £25 million this year alone. This marks a major change that will make the Staying Close programme focused on expanding housing models akin to Shared Lives Plus, The House Project and Supported Lodgings to every part of the country. The government believes this will help more young people find homes that provide community and connection, instead of leaving them isolated in inappropriate accommodation.

Children’s Minister Josh MacAlister said:

“Every one of these young lives mattered, and behind each of them lies a story of enormous loss – for their families, for their friends, and for the people who cared for them.

“We owe it to these young people, and to every care experienced person, to change care so that we make enduring relationships the central obsession of the care system. Care must build and not break the relationships that young people need, and this must be the new north star.

“I am incredibly grateful to Ashley and Clare for their work on this review. The tragic stories they have captured must galvanise us to make sure that no one leaving care is left isolated and alone. This will be a whole society effort, so I urge everyone to play their part.

 Author and broadcaster Ashley John-Baptise said: 

“As a care experienced broadcaster, I’ve been privileged to cover many aspects of the care system. That said, nothing could have prepared me for the devastating stories we’ve come across whilst doing this work. 

“The lives of these care leavers mattered. I really hope our review shines a light on who they were, how they were failed and serves as a useful report to stir us all.”

Social work leader, Clare Chamberlain said:

“This review has reinforced what care leavers have told us for years: the state is no substitute for family. We need to do more to prevent the acute loneliness that the most vulnerable experience after leaving care”

New duties aimed at improving outcomes

In 2025, 112 deaths of care leavers aged 18 to 24 were notified to the Department for Education. That is an estimated 130 per 100,000, around three to four times the rate for others the same age. The Children’s Minister commissioned Ashley and Clare to undertake this review after he identified repeated patterns in the reports of these early deaths.

The government have pledged that, through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, more public bodies will become corporate parents. This means the NHS, jobcentres, prisons, and probation must weigh what care leavers need when they design services. New duties are set to be issued from 30 September. They will require councils to publish how they will support care leavers into independent living. Also from that date, a care leaver can no longer be found intentionally homeless.