Page contents
- What is being in care
- Where will I live and who will look after me?
- Who can help you and what do they do?
- Planning for the future - becoming a care leaver
- The Transitions Service
What is being in care
Sometimes your parents or the person who has been caring for you, can't look after you and a decision has been made that it is better for you not to live at home. They will see if you have other relatives (family like grandmother or uncle) or friends who can look after you, if this is not possible 中国P站 will look after you and keep you safe, this is called being in care. If this happens, you may hear the words "looked after child" to describe you being cared for by 中国P站.
While you are in care your social worker will work hard to help and support you. This may mean meetings with other people like teachers, nurses, doctors and other social workers, as well as members of your family, but you will always be asked what you think.
You may be feeling very confused, upset and worried about what is happening, but you need to know that it is not your fault. Your carers and social worker will talk to you about what is happening, why it is happening and will help you understand.
Where will I live and who will look after me?
While you are in our care, we will do our best to keep you near to your family and school. It's our responsibility to keep you safe and well whilst you're in our care. There may be different sorts of places where you live.
Family and Friends
Some children and young people are cared for by someone in their own family. This could be someone like your Auntie or Uncle, a cousin, a grandparent or even a close family friend. A social worker will meet with them to check that they are able to look after you properly.
Foster carers
Foster carers look after children and young people by offering them to be a part of their family, in their family home. All the time that you live with them, they are responsible for you.
Sleepovers
This could be a stay in a residential home, or a stay with another foster carer, for a short amount of time before going home or to the place you normally live. Some children and young people have a sleepover stay on a regular basis, one or two nights per week, or per month. Other children might have a week's stay once a year. You might also want to have sleepovers with friends, if you let the person who cares for you know they can make those arrangements.
Living in a Residential Home
A residential home offers a home to a group of children all at the same time. You will share the house with other children and have a team of adults on site who look after you both during the day and night. If you live in a residential home, you will have a member of staff who is there for you, they'll be called your "key worker."
Residential School
This is also known as a Boarding School. You live at the School. Some children and young people go home for weekends, or School holidays, whilst other children and young people stay at the School all year around and are looked after by staff.
Supported Accommodation
Supported accommodation is also for older children who are 16 and over and is where you live in the community with other children who are looked after. There will be a key worker who visits you and the other children; however they may not be there all the time and being in this time of accommodation supports children to get ready for adulthood.
Supported Lodgings
Supported lodgings is for older children who are 16 and over. It is similar to being in foster care, however your lodgings carers will support you with your independence skills so you are ready for adulthood.
If you are looked after by us, we make sure you have somewhere safe to live where you are protected and cared for. What's best for you always comes first.
Who can help you and what do they do?
Social Worker
Depending on where you live, you may have a foster carer, a residential worker or a support worker. Your carer will be responsible for helping you every day in all areas of your life, for example, getting to school, or meeting with friends and family, looking after you if you are unwell.
Your social worker will explain to you what is happening and what is going to happen in the future. Your social worker will visit you regularly and also help you to keep in touch with the people who are important to you. Please ask your social worker for their Pen Picture, if you have not already received this.
Independent Reviewing Officer
Every child and young person who is looked after must have a named Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO). It is their job to chair your Looked After Child Review meeting. They should see you on your own as well as at the meeting, if this is what you want. It is their job is to listen to you, make sure you have your say about what is happening and everyone listens to you and to make sure your care plan is working for you.
Designated Teacher
The Designated Teacher ensures school staff help you to enjoy school life and support you to learn and achieve. The details of who is your designated teacher can be found in your Personal Education Plan (PEP).
Named nurse for Looked After Children
The Specialised Nurse for Looked After Children will help you to keep well and stay healthy by making sure you see a doctor, dentist and optician regularly. The Nurse will also support you to take care of yourself in areas such as personal hygiene, eating healthily, taking enough exercise and having enough sleep. You can ask your Social Worker on how to contact the Named Nurse for Looked After Children.
Planning for the future
As you get older (16) you will get a personal adviser (PA) who works within the Care Leavers' Service. Your PA alongside your social worker will start preparing you gradually for independence. This will include going through independence packs so you understand how to manage your money, where you will live (accommodation) health and education in future when you are an adult. All of these packs and discussions will be recorded in your Pathway Plan, which is a Care Plan but for older children.
Before you turn 18, you will have many conversations about what your plans are for when you are an adult and your PA and social worker will support you to have the skills and knowledge to achieve independence. At 18, you will be an adult and most likely not have a social worker anymore, but your PA will keep working with you until you are 21 or 25 if you need extra support.
More information about becoming a care leaver at 18 can be found through the 中国P站 local offer for care leavers.
The Transitions Service
If you have a disability and Adult Social Care Needs, when you are 18 years old, you will get a new Social Worker from the Transition Service and you'll say goodbye to your Social Worker from Children's Services. This will be a gradual change. Your Children's Social Worker will start thinking about what support you're going to need when you're an adult, on your 14th birthday.
Your Children's Social Worker will start having discussions with the Transitions Team so that when you turn 18 years old, a Transitions Worker will work with you, The Transitions Worker will be invited to your Education Reviews. If you don't go to this meeting, don't worry, there will be other people there, like your teacher and Social Worker who know you really well and will make sure they tell everyone what you need. Your Transitions Worker will work with you and people who know you, to write a plan that says what you need and who can help you when you're an adult. The Transitions Worker will assist you until you turn 25 years of age.
'Finding Your Feet - work and life skills mentoring' is a voluntary scheme aimed to improve the life chances and economic wellbeing of children and young people in care and care leavers in 中国P站.