How do Black and Global Majority care leavers describe and make sense of their lived experiences of the English care system, and in what ways do they perceive these experiences as being shaped by race and racism?

This thesis investigates the lived experiences of Black and Global Majority care leavers in the English care system, with a focus on whether they encounter disproportionately. Set against the backdrop of persistent racial inequalities in UK public institutions, this research responds to a critical gap in the literature, namely, the limited understanding of how race and ethnicity intersect with care experiences and post-care transitions. Adopting a qualitative, interpretivist methodology, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with a small sample of Black and Global Majority care-experienced individuals. Thematic analysis was employed to examine patterns across participants’ narratives, particularly focusing on how their interpersonal relationships, emotional development, and access to support services were shaped by race, institutional practices, and systemic bias. The findings reveal recurring themes of cultural dislocation, systemic racism, and a lack of culturally competent care throughout the care journey. Participants described challenges in building trust with professionals, navigating identity in predominantly white environments, and facing racialised barriers in areas such as education, employment, and mental health support. These challenges were often magnified during transitions out of care, leading to a sense of abandonment and ongoing marginalisation. This thesis contributes to the field by centring the voices of Black and Global Majority care leavers, voices that are often excluded from mainstream discourse and policymaking. It advances the use of intersectionality and Critical Race Theory in social care research, positioning race as a central axis of inequality within the care system. In doing so, the study offers practical implications: it calls for anti-racist and culturally competent reforms in training, policy, and practice to ensure equitable support for care leavers of all backgrounds. Ultimately, this research highlights the urgent need to dismantle institutional biases within children’s social care and to reimagine care systems that affirm, rather than erase, the identities of those they are meant to support.