A National Voice

Leaving Care

by Sarah Coleman

Last year the government introduced the Leaving Care Act, the idea of which is to give young people leaving care more support right up until their 21st birthday, or 24th if they continue into higher education. It is also meant to help young people make a smoother transition from care into wider society. But this is a tough move to make, I know, I have been there.

When I left care, I had my own social worker, but once she was gone, there was no obligation for Social Services to keep in contact with me. From my own experience, young people in care and care leavers often have issues with trusting authority figures, possibly due to abuse etc.

When I was in care a lot of people with such issues had difficulty asking for help voluntarily if they experienced problems.

I left care over 2 years ago, I then spent about a year in supported lodgings before moving into my own place. I've been in my flat for over a year now. Although I received good financial help when I left care, I still feel more could be done to assist young people emotionally.

I've been quite lucky, I've managed to stay in my flat and I'm coping well day by day with my emotions. Some care leavers are not so lucky. They fail. What happens to them? And how can we stop them falling by the wayside?

I had a chat with Marian August- manager of the Leaving Care Team, to find out what she thought of the Leaving Care Act and how effective she thought it is, and also to talk about what sort of emotional support was available through Bexley Social Services.

She felt it was a shame that the act was not retrospective, because now we are left with two groups of people, those that the act applies to and those it doesn't include. She also felt the act was good in the sense that it does intend to look after care leavers, and not just dump them on the streets.

But has the act changed the way in which Bexley deals with care leavers?

Marian told me that Bexley now have to publish what services and financial support are available to care leavers, which is presented in a book, given to all young people leaving care at their review meetings.

This I thought was a positive step, but I was still concerned about the emotional support on offer. Marian told me that Bexley intends to concentrate more on the financial and practical help they can offer young people, since a lot of care leavers struggle with independent living.

“A lot of them fall at the first hurdle, I would say about half of them, but our job is to pick them up and get them sorted out again.” She said.

Marian continued to tell me that when a social worker with the right attitude, visited a young person in their home, and helped them feel that they were not alone in their situation, then this would be considered adequate emotional support.

I don't think this is good enough. Okay, it's useful to have someone helping you out with practical things, but some young people in care have more specific needs. They might need someone to help guide or motivate them, so would those kinds of needs be fully met?

Marian hoped that personal advisors, brought in by the Leaving Care Act, would be able to stop young people feeling isolated. At present Bexley doesn't have any advisors because of staff shortages.

"Until that is resolved I can't see a way forward. What we should be doing is doing pathway plans for everyone, right up until they are 21, including those who don't come under the new act. If we had the staff we would do it." She added.

When I left care I had different circumstances. I left before the Act was introduced, however I do like the idea of having a personal advisor to help you plan and fulfil your life path. But I think the idea of providing all young people with personal advisors is a bit unrealistic, because there wont be enough to go round and I'm sure some young people will therefore miss out.

I questioned Marian August further, about what measures were being put into place to avoid care leavers slipping through the net, and how Bexley planned to make it easier for them to go into independent living. She told me that they were introducing a bed-sit idea, and a whole range of supported lodging placements for people to stay. She continued by saying “The more supported lodging places that we can have, the more we can match people. Also being a bit more up front with people, so that it doesn't seem like a mystery to them, will help.”

I came away with mixed emotions. On one hand it was good that Bexley want everyone to have personal advisors, but I'm by no means convinced that this will really happen. Also, it's good to introduce a wider range of supported lodging placements, but again, will they have the resources?

I do feel that Bexley are trying their best, so credit where it's due. But maybe, whatever they do will always come up a poor substitute for the support young people could be receiving by having a loving and supportive family of their own.

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