024). Respondents to both the survey and interviews described how a lack of access to education, employment and appropriate therapeutic support leaves young people in limbo, exacerbating mental health difficulties, risk of exploitation and involvement in unlawful activity, such as modern slavery. Proactive responses shared by respondents included: - Improved systems for placement planning, development of bespoke supported accommodation provision, specialist social workers, personal advisors and independent reviewing officers, and dedicated teams - Local authority teams based close to dedicated housing provision, enabling immigration interviews to be conducted at their offices, as well as therapeutic support to address the consequences of violence and trauma some UAS have experienced - Work was also undertaken by some local authorities to safeguard former UAS care leavers during the race riots in summer 2024. 55 4.7 Exiting from care and adoption DfE data shows adoption numbers levelling at around 3,000 per year since 2021. As a proportion of all children ceasing to be in care, adoptions have fallen from 13% in 2017–18 to 9% in the latest reporting year (DfE, 2024e). SP data suggests that adoption breakdowns have decreased, with extrapolated numbers (from 114 respondents) indicating a fall in the number of children coming into care who were previously adopted from 219 in 2019–20 to 171 in 2023–24. The number of children leaving care under a special guardianship order (SGO) remained steady over the last two years at about 3,800. Most SGOs were granted to relatives or friends (88%); the remainder were largely to other former foster carers (9%). The average age at SGO remained the same as last year at six years and two months (DfE, 2024e). SP data on reasons for children le