Being in care
Entering the care system
We know that entering the care system can be a difficult and confusing time for young people. Every child or young person who enters the care system is unique and has different needs.
The care system is there to ensure that young people who can’t live with their parents are well looked after and supported, enabling them to be safe and happy.
Young people enter care for a number of reasons including:
• Their parents are unable to care for them due to illness or family problems.
• The court do not believe that the family home is the right environment for the young person.
• They may be placing themselves or others at risk.
When entering care, young people will meet a range of new people including professionals and those who they may be living with. These people are there to ensure that young people have the safety, security, and opportunities they may not otherwise have had. They are also there for young people to talk to and to make sure young people fully understand the reasons they are in care and their future plans.
Types of care placements
There are several types of placement that children and young people might experience while under the care of a local authority. It is really important that children and young people’s views are considered when thinking about the type of placement they live in, including who they live with and where they live.
The different types of placements young people may live in include:
We know that entering the care system can be a difficult and confusing time for young people. Every child or young person who enters the care system is unique and has different needs.
The care system is there to ensure that young people who can’t live with their parents are well looked after and supported, enabling them to be safe and happy.
Young people enter care for a number of reasons including:
• Their parents are unable to care for them due to illness or family problems.
• The court do not believe that the family home is the right environment for the young person.
• They may be placing themselves or others at risk.
When entering care, young people will meet a range of new people including professionals and those who they may be living with. These people are there to ensure that young people have the safety, security, and opportunities they may not otherwise have had. They are also there for young people to talk to and to make sure young people fully understand the reasons they are in care and their future plans.
There are several types of placement that children and young people might experience while under the care of a local authority. It is really important that children and young people’s views are considered when thinking about the type of placement they live in, including who they live with and where they live.
The different types of placements young people may live in include:
Most children and young people in care are looked after by foster carers.
Foster placements can last for days, weeks, months or even years. Some foster carers may welcome children into their family, alongside children of their own, or they may foster a number of children at once. Foster carers can be partners or single people. The important thing is that a foster home should provide stability, emotional support and a loving environment, as well as the practical day-to-day care needed by children and young people.
When living in foster care young people will usually have their own bedroom even if they live in a home with other young people. Before you move into your foster home you may have the opportunity to find out some information about them including what they like to do and information about the home environment, such as if they have pets.
In kinship care, young people will live with someone who is known to them such as a family member or a friend of the family. The known adult is then given the role of foster carer by the local authority when the child’s birth parents are unable to care for them. Some people call this ‘family and friends care’ to ensure that those without a biological connection to the child are not excluded from the definition.
Kinship care builds on existing family links, which might include keeping in contact with birth parents when this is possible.
Kinship care sees the local authority have responsibility for the child (as they do with foster carers who are not related to the child). The child or young person should also receive the same support from children’s services as any other fostered child.
Some children will live in residential children’s homes, often with other young people (usually from two to six young people per home although it can be more or less).
Residential homes have a number of residential carers who are employed by the local authority, or by companies or charities that run homes. Staff may live on site or work shifts, ensuring that there is always someone on hand for the children.
Sometimes, older children or young people taken into care prefer not to be placed in a family; they may have a continuing relationship with their birth family or would prefer a different environment due to the problems they have faced before. Some residential care settings can offer education provisions or a more highly intensive therapeutic environment, with staff who are trained in supporting children and young people to deal with their past experiences.
For some looked after children or young people, secure care homes are the best option to keep them safe. Secure care homes are staffed by a larger number of staff than a residential children’s home to provide intensive support to young people.
Being in care
When you are in care there are a lot of different people to meet and different meetings that you will be involved in. Some of the key people and meetings are outlined below:
Your social worker is responsible for making sure the local authority acts as your corporate parent. They will work alongside other professionals to make sure you have the right care, access to education and other services such as health and activities. Your social worker will spend time speaking with you to make sure your wishes and feelings are included in the support you receive; these will be written in your looked after children’s care plan.
The Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) is there to make sure that the local authority’s care plan is good enough. The IRO will make sure that your wishes and feelings are in the care plan and the plan works for you. The IRO also has the power to challenge the local authority if they don’t think that you are receiving the best support.
Designated Teacher
A designated teacher is a teacher in your school who is there to make sure you have someone you can contact during school times. They will also ensure your education is as settled as can be, the designated teacher can also help with additional support such as accessing 1-1 tutoring.
Virtual School Head
The virtual school head promotes the education of all looked after children in each local authority. They will ensure that you are attending the right school and are engaging in education as best as you can. The Virtual School Head will talk to your social worker and the designated teacher in your school to make sure you have the right support in place.
Looked After Children’s Nurse
The designated nurse’s responsibility is to promote the health and wellbeing of looked after children, ensuring that they are cared for and healthy as well as have access to positive activities. The looked after children’s nurse will work with other professionals to ensure your health assessments are included in your other plans.
Care planning meeting
At a young person’s care planning meeting all the people involved in the young person’s life will come together to make decisions and monitor the progress of the young person. The overall aim of the care plan and the care planning meeting is to ensure the young person is supported across all areas of their life including: Health, Education, Emotional and Behavioural Development, Identity, Family and Social Relationships, Social Presentation and Self-Care Skills. Care planning meetings will take place at least once a year.
Review meeting
A review meeting brings together all the people involved in a young person’s life to review the young person’s care plan. A review meeting must be held four weeks after a young person becomes looked after, following this there will be a second review three months later and then every six months.
Personal Education Plan and meeting
The personal education plan (PEP) is a plan identifying how the professionals working with young people will support their educational journey. The plan is developed in consultation with the young person, designated teacher, social worker, carer and the virtual school. The PEP is reviewed every six months, in line with the review of the young person’s care plan.
Health assessment
Every looked after child should have an initial health assessment within 28 days of entering care, depending on where you live it may either be completed by the designated nurse or another medical professional. Your health assessment forms part of your looked after child care plan.
For young people under the age of 5, a review will be carried out at least once every 6 months.
For young people aged 5-18, a review will be carried out at least once a year.
When you are in care there are a lot of different people to meet and different meetings that you will be involved in. Some of the key people and meetings are outlined below:
Your social worker is responsible for making sure the local authority acts as your corporate parent. They will work alongside other professionals to make sure you have the right care, access to education and other services such as health and activities. Your social worker will spend time speaking with you to make sure your wishes and feelings are included in the support you receive; these will be written in your looked after children’s care plan.
The Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) is there to make sure that the local authority’s care plan is good enough. The IRO will make sure that your wishes and feelings are in the care plan and the plan works for you. The IRO also has the power to challenge the local authority if they don’t think that you are receiving the best support.
Designated Teacher
A designated teacher is a teacher in your school who is there to make sure you have someone you can contact during school times. They will also ensure your education is as settled as can be, the designated teacher can also help with additional support such as accessing 1-1 tutoring.
A designated teacher is a teacher in your school who is there to make sure you have someone you can contact during school times. They will also ensure your education is as settled as can be, the designated teacher can also help with additional support such as accessing 1-1 tutoring.
Virtual School Head
The virtual school head promotes the education of all looked after children in each local authority. They will ensure that you are attending the right school and are engaging in education as best as you can. The Virtual School Head will talk to your social worker and the designated teacher in your school to make sure you have the right support in place.
The virtual school head promotes the education of all looked after children in each local authority. They will ensure that you are attending the right school and are engaging in education as best as you can. The Virtual School Head will talk to your social worker and the designated teacher in your school to make sure you have the right support in place.
Looked After Children’s Nurse
The designated nurse’s responsibility is to promote the health and wellbeing of looked after children, ensuring that they are cared for and healthy as well as have access to positive activities. The looked after children’s nurse will work with other professionals to ensure your health assessments are included in your other plans.
The designated nurse’s responsibility is to promote the health and wellbeing of looked after children, ensuring that they are cared for and healthy as well as have access to positive activities. The looked after children’s nurse will work with other professionals to ensure your health assessments are included in your other plans.
Care planning meeting
At a young person’s care planning meeting all the people involved in the young person’s life will come together to make decisions and monitor the progress of the young person. The overall aim of the care plan and the care planning meeting is to ensure the young person is supported across all areas of their life including: Health, Education, Emotional and Behavioural Development, Identity, Family and Social Relationships, Social Presentation and Self-Care Skills. Care planning meetings will take place at least once a year.
At a young person’s care planning meeting all the people involved in the young person’s life will come together to make decisions and monitor the progress of the young person. The overall aim of the care plan and the care planning meeting is to ensure the young person is supported across all areas of their life including: Health, Education, Emotional and Behavioural Development, Identity, Family and Social Relationships, Social Presentation and Self-Care Skills. Care planning meetings will take place at least once a year.
Review meeting
A review meeting brings together all the people involved in a young person’s life to review the young person’s care plan. A review meeting must be held four weeks after a young person becomes looked after, following this there will be a second review three months later and then every six months.
A review meeting brings together all the people involved in a young person’s life to review the young person’s care plan. A review meeting must be held four weeks after a young person becomes looked after, following this there will be a second review three months later and then every six months.
Personal Education Plan and meeting
The personal education plan (PEP) is a plan identifying how the professionals working with young people will support their educational journey. The plan is developed in consultation with the young person, designated teacher, social worker, carer and the virtual school. The PEP is reviewed every six months, in line with the review of the young person’s care plan.
The personal education plan (PEP) is a plan identifying how the professionals working with young people will support their educational journey. The plan is developed in consultation with the young person, designated teacher, social worker, carer and the virtual school. The PEP is reviewed every six months, in line with the review of the young person’s care plan.
Health assessment
Every looked after child should have an initial health assessment within 28 days of entering care, depending on where you live it may either be completed by the designated nurse or another medical professional. Your health assessment forms part of your looked after child care plan.
For young people under the age of 5, a review will be carried out at least once every 6 months.
For young people aged 5-18, a review will be carried out at least once a year.
Every looked after child should have an initial health assessment within 28 days of entering care, depending on where you live it may either be completed by the designated nurse or another medical professional. Your health assessment forms part of your looked after child care plan.
For young people under the age of 5, a review will be carried out at least once every 6 months.
For young people aged 5-18, a review will be carried out at least once a year.