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Children in Care and Care Leavers

Children in Care – what does it mean?

Children and young people whose parents can’t look after them for some reason and are looked after by the Local Authority are referred to as ‘Children in Care’. You might live in a friend and family placement, a foster placement or residential placement run by another organisation or supported lodgings.

If you are looked after you will have a Social Worker who will work with you. They need to visit you regularly and you will have a review after 1 month, 3 months and then every 6 months

What Support Can I have when I am in care?

Depending on what you think you want or need, you can get support from:

  • Your social worker, foster carer, designated teacher at school or other worker that you feel able to open up to
  • Your Children’s Rights Advocate (CRA). This is the person who attends your reviews and whose job it is to make sure you are informed and listened to.
  • Independent Advocate– this is someone who does not work for the local authority. Their job is to support you, protect your rights and help you speak out

Rights:

The United Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 20 is about children who are unable to live with their family.  It says:

 “If a child cannot be looked after by their immediate family, the government must give them special protection and assistance. This includes making sure the child is provided with alternative care that is continuous and respects the child’s culture, language and religion”

As a child in care, you have certain rights around being supported to deal with difficult experiences you have had, about contact with your family (as long as it is not harmful for you), and very importantly being involved and being asked about your wishes and feelings about your life. This does not mean that you will always get your own way, but that you should be listened to and what you say is taken seriously by adults making decisions. If you feel that your rights are not being upheld, you should talk to your Children’s Rights Advocate or someone you feel comfortable with who can help or speak on your behalf.

What you are entitled to

If you are living in foster care (residential care/private foster care the amounts you receive can be different), you should be receiving pocket money.  The amount you receive will be different depending on your age.  Your foster carer should give you pocket money every week, some of it could be put into a bank account. This is what you should receive:

Pocket Money:

Age
Amount
Age

0-4

Amount

£4

Age

5-15

Amount

£9

Age

16-17

Amount

£16

Your foster carer will also receive holiday, birthday and festival allowances for you:

Age Band
Holiday
Birhday
Festival
Age Band

0-4 Years

Holiday

£267

Birhday

£133

Festival

£133

Age Band

5-15 Years

Holiday

£351

Birhday

£160

Festival

£160

Age Band

16-17 Years

Holiday

£458

Birhday

£213

Festival

£213

When you first move into your placement, your foster carer will receive money to buy your school uniform and they will be given an allowance to buy your clothes.

For more information, see the Entitlements Leaflet.

Care Leavers:

  • Care Leavers are entitled to a setting up home grant of £2000
  • Care Leavers who go to university are entitled to a total of £2000 bursary, payments are split over the 3 years
  • Care Leavers receive £50 birthday money on their 18th and 21st birthdays
  • Care Leavers receive £50 Christmas money

When things can’t easily be resolved:

Sometimes things don’t go right. If something is bothering you, it is important to make sure you speak to someone like your foster carer, CRA, social worker, independent Advocate or a someone like a youth worker. If the issue cannot be resolved informally (by talking and negotiating with those people already supporting you), you can make a complaint to the local authority.

This can be done through an online: dorothy.roberts@halton.gov.uk

Also, the Children’s Commissioner in England has information and a helpline if you need it.

Halton’s Children in Care Council

The Children in Care Council provides a safe space for children and young people in care and care leavers to be listened to and helped to achieve positive change. The Children in Care Council provides an opportunity for young people to work together to promote their views, values and opinions and is a way for them to be involved in the planning and decision making processes on matters that affect their life.

The Children in Care Council members have been involved in making a difference to others in care.  We have informal meetings, formal meetings, activities and events such as cooking classes, water sports day, circus fun-day alongside making positive change. The group is mixed from years 11-25 all are welcome!

Useful Websites

  • https://www.gov.uk/leaving-foster-or-local-authority-care
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