We are seeing increasing numbers of children entering the care system: in 2020, 13 per cent of this population were residing in residential care, secure units or semi-independent living environments.
Children who are looked after have disproportionate experiences of adversity and developmental trauma than their non looked-after peers. They have higher rates of mental health disorders compared with the general population, with the highest rates among young people in residential care according to 2021 data from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Young people who have experienced developmental trauma often present with attachment- or safety-seeking behaviours, which can be perceived as challenging by those who care for the young person, which can be a contributing factor to placement instability and subsequent breakdown (Turner et al., 2019).
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