David* spent most of his childhood in and out of care after experiencing abuse and neglect, and spent his teenage years in a children’s home, where a nurse helped him keep track of his type 1 diabetes. But as he approached 18, things changed: he was moved into supported accommodation on his own, and then, at 19 years old, his diabetes nurse stopped working with him because of his age. He lost a lot of connections, including a personal adviser who moved out of the area, and the monitoring of his insulin levels declined.
David loved swimming and ice skating, qualified as a lifeguard, and spent lots of time in a local care leavers’ hub where he enjoyed chatting to other young people. Then, in the summer of 2025, the hub closed for three weeks for refurbishment and his new personal adviser went on leave. It was during this time that David died from a lack of insulin.
His body wasn’t discovered for two weeks. David’s death is one of a number examined in a landmark review into the deaths of more than 100 care leavers aged 18-24 in 2025. The review findings suggest the death rate of this cohort is about 3-4 times higher than the death rate of the general population.
One-fifth of all these deaths occurred at age 18, with experts saying a “care cliff” means young people experience an “immense drop off in support” as they transition from being a child to an adult. The review said: “It is notable that there was no one in David’s life who was connected enough to notice his absence [when he died] and, in the end, it was neighbours who alerted the police. Those who knew David talked about him fondly, and he clearly made connections with a number of them in children’s services.
But it was a system that left him not seen for two weeks. If he had his own people, his own tribe, that wouldn’t have happened.” There were similar failings in the case of Michael* who suffered “trauma, rejection and hardship” throughout his childhood, including sexual abuse, and he was placed into care at six years old. He built a solid relationship with a foster carer, with whom he lived for four years, but when she became unwell and could no longer care for him, he went to more than 10 foster placements before he turned 18.
When he was moved into semi-independent accommodation outside his local area, he was frequently reported as missing and started taking drugs. Social workers had long raised concerns about his vulnerability and fears he could be exploited. After several skirmishes with police, including having to be brought down from the roof of his accommodation, he was sent to an adult prison aged 18.
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