‘Being Real’ and ‘Being Boundaried’: A Qualitative Study of Practitioners' Provision of Authentic Care in a Service for Young Care Leavers

Abstract

This study explores experiences of authentic care among practitioners and young people at The House Project, an organization supporting young people leaving care in the United Kingdom. We conducted observations, interviews and focus groups with a total of 41 practitioners and 37 young people in multiple local projects over the course of 2 years. The study offers three main findings. First, practitioners and young people place significant value on relationships of authentic care and perceive these as characterized by mutual self-disclosure, genuine emotional investment and practitioners' willingness to ‘go above and beyond’ in their work. Second, the provision of authentic care in a professional setting is subject to several challenges for practitioners: managing the heightened emotional impact of caring authentically for young people, maintaining balance and boundaries between work and home lives and navigating career transitions. Third, practitioners responded to these challenges through what we call ‘flexible boundary setting’ and by cultivating networks of support. Further research is needed to determine how to best support staff in the provision of authentic care.