The long-awaited Children Leaving Care Act, which became law in October this year, is intended to change the way social services support young people when they leave care at 16. So what does it mean for young people? And more importantly, will it work? Della Hicks-Wilson, Piriya Jeganathan and Chantelle Symester, from the NCB/Children's Express media group, investigate.
| When young people move to adulthood there are lots of things happening in their lives... the pathway plan has to address those changes. |
Leaving home at 16 would be, for any young person, a scary prospect even with the support of family and friends, so imagine what it must be like for young people living in residential or foster care. Until recently, most have had to leave their care placement at 16 or 17 and learn to fend for themselves with little or no support. The consequences make depressingly familiar reading. More than 75 per cent of careleavers have no educational qualifications; young people who have lived in care are greatly over-represented among the homeless population; between 50 per cent and 80 per cent of careleavers are unemployed. It's a situation leading academic Professor Mike Stein describes as 'a disgrace'.
It may be no surprise then to hear Professor Stein, a researcher based at the University of York who has been working over a period of three decades to improve the situation for young people in care, is feeling optimistic following the introduction of the Children Leaving Care Act.
Under the new law, local authorities will be required to help young people by providing them with a personal advisor, financial support and guidance on housing, employment and education. The Children Act 1989 urged local authorities to support young people when they left care, but whether to go ahead and provide that support was optional. Professor Stein believes the new legislation, which is stronger than the Children Act in that authorities' responsibilities are statutory, will ensure that the needs of all young people are met.
| | Young people’s views about the Children Leaving Care Act | | Keith, aged 16 from Boston Spa, living in residential care 'I know a bit about the Act, not much. I know it's about accommodation. I went to a meeting today and we talked about independent living. I think it will be brilliant, it's a time to move on and meet new people.' | | Donna, 15 years old, from Cheltenham, living in residential care 'I don't know about the Act.' | | Michael, aged 16, living in Brighton in supported lodgings 'Some parts of the Act are OK. Some are not so good. I was consulted about the pathway plan (by the local authority) and I thought some of questions were irrelevant and patronising. Hopefully the act will change the way local authorities feel about giving care leavers money. Mention the word finance at the moment and people hide under desks. One good thing about the act is that I get my university degree paid for…it gives me a chance and I can get rid of the stereotype of young people in care that they can't achieve.' | | Danny, 15 years old, from Lincolnshire, living in residential care 'I heard about it last week. We were talking about independent living and the carers told me about the Act. I think it's good because it builds your confidence living on your own. You need all the help you can get. I was worried whether I would get on all right … find a nice house and that. Now you know the support is there I feel much better and I look forward to the challenge.' | |
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'I think it should benefit them a lot,' he says. 'It should help them through the introduction of personal advisors. One of the weaknesses of the previous system was that it was very much hit and miss whether young people had sustained support from anyone after they left care. The new act should also help them because they're going to have a pathway plan. When young people move to adulthood there are lots of things happening in their lives - changes in education, where they're living with their families, their friends, money and accommodation. The pathway plan has to address those changes.'
When Professor Stein talks about service provision for young people leaving care he repeatedly uses the phrase 'hit and miss' to describe how some have benefited and others have lost out entirely. He also uses it when we ask him how aware young people are of the new law, and if they understood how it will affect their lives.
'In some local authorities young people have been very involved in thinking and preparing for the act. For example, I know a number of authorities where young people have been consulted about the pathway plan. I suspect in others there hasn't been that degree of communication, so sadly I think it has probably been a bit of hit and miss because it has been left to local authorities.'
Two weeks before the act came into force we spoke to young people aged between 14 and 16 to find out their views. Some young people had never heard of it. Others knew vaguely, mainly via informal discussions with their carers, that it was to do with support for education and housing, but couldn't elaborate much more than that. Even young people from the care organisation, A National Voice, who were involved in the drafting of the Leaving Care Bill before it officially became law, needed further information.
Benni-Jo Tyler, A National Voice's Regional Development Worker, told us that most of the young people she worked with were aware of the act, but they are 'curious as to what it means to them personally'.
Why didn't young people on the brink of leaving care know more about the act two weeks before it became law? They need to know about their rights, and they need to know how to access service provision. Surely if you don't tell them, this brilliant effort to improve the life chances of careleavers will fall flat.
Ironically, Professor Stein says 'consulting and involving young people on a regular and ongoing basis' is one of the best ways for authorities to find out whether the services they provide are effective. It has to be said, failure to inform them about the Leaving Care Act was not a great start.
The general consensus of professionals in the social care field - including both Professor Stein and Benni-Jo Tyler - is that this act should improve the after-care support young careleavers receive.
'I think it's a good thing and a good document, but these things only ever work when they are done in the spirit that was intended,' said Benni-Jo Tyler. 'I'm anxious that local authorities may take the easy way out and do the minimum. This Act will only be successful if authorities do as much as possible and use the new law to the advantage of young people.'
About the team
This article was produced by Della Hicks-Wilson and Chantelle Symester, 15, and Piriya Jeganathan, 18. It was published in the Winter 2001 edition of Children Now, the National Children's Bureau magazine.
