Creating functional educational programmes for adolescents in residential care

Abstract

The main aim of this research is to explore the perceptions of four male adolescents in care, their parents', teachers' and carers' with regards to their present kind of education and residential care received at St. Patrick's. Four adolescents. with learning difficulties and in care at St. Patrick's, whose age ranges from thirteen to fifteen years. were identified together with the school and the residential centre. Interviews were conducted with the four adolescents, their care coordinator, parents. teachers, social workers and care workers. In addition, observations of the four adolescents were carried out at school and after school. From these interviews and observations. it resulted that there are certain functional academic and life skills that these adolescents still need to strengthen for their transition from residential care to independent living. The researchers developed individualised functional educational programmes for the four adolescents, according to their particular needs.