£25 million programme will expand supported housing and strengthen relationships for young people leaving the care system
Thousands of young people leaving England’s care system are set to receive greater support as they transition into adulthood, under a new government-backed programme designed to tackle one of the most persistent challenges facing care leavers: isolation.
The government has announced a £25 million investment for 2026-27 to expand innovative housing models that combine accommodation with stable relationships, practical support and a sense of community. The initiative forms part of a wider effort to ensure that young people leaving care do not face adulthood without a reliable network around them.
The announcement coincides with the publication of an independent review into the early deaths of young people who had previously been in care. Commissioned by Children’s Minister Josh MacAlister, the review was led by broadcaster and author Ashley John-Baptiste and social work leader Clare Chamberlain.
The review examines the lives and deaths of six young people who died between the ages of 18 and 24. Their families, friends and professionals described them as loving, energetic and valued members of their communities. Yet the report also highlights how quickly some young people can become isolated after leaving care.
Its authors argue that the transition to independence can expose care leavers to risks that other young adults may be better equipped to manage because they can rely on family and established social networks.
For some care leavers, the report says, securing their own flat or house can appear to be a positive milestone. But without meaningful relationships and consistent support, independent accommodation can instead become a source of loneliness, with nobody nearby to recognise when a young person is struggling.
A new approach to leaving care
The government’s response places greater emphasis on housing that creates connections rather than simply providing a roof over someone’s head.
The national expansion of the Staying Close programme will support models inspired by approaches such as Shared Lives Plus, The House Project and Supported Lodgings. The aim is to make these forms of accommodation available across the country and give more care leavers access to homes where they can remain connected to supportive adults and communities.
The government says the approach represents a shift away from treating independence as simply living alone. Instead, successful adulthood for care leavers will increasingly be measured by whether young people have secure relationships, practical assistance and somewhere to turn when difficulties arise.
The independent review identifies three areas requiring urgent improvement: preparation for adulthood before a young person leaves care, the reduction in support that can occur when they reach 18, and the skills and capacity of professionals working with care-experienced young people.
Children’s Minister Josh MacAlister said the deaths examined by the review demonstrated the need to make lasting relationships a central principle of the care system.
“Every one of these young lives mattered,” MacAlister said, arguing that the system must strengthen rather than disrupt the relationships young people need as they grow into adulthood.
He also thanked the review’s authors and called for a wider societal effort to ensure that people leaving care are not left “isolated and alone”.
Deaths among young care leavers remain a serious concern
Official figures underline the scale of the challenge.
In 2025, 112 deaths among care leavers aged between 18 and 24 were reported to the Department for Education. The figure represents an estimated mortality rate of around 130 deaths per 100,000 people — approximately three to four times higher than the rate recorded among other people of the same age.
The review was commissioned after the Children’s Minister identified recurring patterns in reports concerning the premature deaths of care-experienced young people.
Ashley John-Baptiste, who has personal experience of the care system, said the stories uncovered during the review were devastating and stressed that the young people involved should not be reduced to statistics.
He said the report was intended to show who the young people were, examine the ways in which they were failed and encourage action to prevent similar tragedies.
Clare Chamberlain said the findings reinforced concerns repeatedly raised by care leavers themselves: government services cannot fully replace the security and relationships traditionally provided by families.
She warned that more must be done to prevent severe loneliness among the most vulnerable young people leaving care.
Wider reforms to strengthen the safety net
The housing investment is being introduced alongside broader changes to the responsibilities of public services.
Under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, a wider range of public bodies will take on responsibilities as corporate parents. This means organisations including the NHS, jobcentres, prisons and probation services will be expected to take the needs of care leavers into account when designing and delivering services.
From 30 September, councils will also be required to publish information explaining how they intend to support care leavers as they move towards independent living.
Another important change will mean that, from the same date, a care leaver cannot be classified as intentionally homeless. The measure is intended to strengthen the housing safety net for young people who have already experienced significant instability.
Taken together, the reforms signal a broader change in how the government approaches the transition from care to adulthood. Rather than viewing leaving care as a single point at which responsibility is transferred to the young person, ministers want services to provide longer-lasting relationships and practical support.
For thousands of young people entering adulthood without the family networks many others take for granted, the government hopes the new approach will ensure that having a home also means having people around them who notice when something is wrong and are prepared to help.
