A National Voice

Frequently Asked Questions

This part of our site is a mixture of questions frequently asked by young people from Care and Care staff among others.

Questions

1. I am 14 and living in care, can ANV help me to set up my own local group for other young people like me? Answer
2. I am 16 and living in a children's home. Soon I will be leaving to go to live in a semi-independent unit. When I do will I still be in care? I am a bit scared about how I will manage with money and things. The unit is further away from where I am at college. What can I expect from social services? Answer
3. Is ANV another part of Social Services? Answer
4. Is it true that it costs more to stay in a childrens home per week than it does to stay in a private boarding school? Answer
5. My friend is the same age as me but lives in a different children home to me, she gets £2 a week more pocket money than me, is this right? Answer
6. Can I see the files that are kept by Social Services about me? Answer
7. I am 17 and have just had a baby. I live with foster carers but my social worker and foster carer say I cannot stay here now and the council will give me a flat. How will I buy furniture and all the things me and the baby needs? I want to stay at home at the moment with my child but in a year or two I shall want to go back to college. Answer
8. Is it true that I can ask for a review of my care plan at any time? Answer
9. What is a Local Authority? Answer
10. I really don't get on with my Social Worker can I have a different one? Answer
11. I am 18 and living in a bedsit. I have been here 6 months since leaving foster care. Things have not gone well. I cannot find a job and I owe rent. The neighbours complain about the noise and have told my landlord. I have a Personal Advisor from the leaving care team but he has said there is not much they can do for me now I am 18. What shall I do? Answer
12. I am 19 and have been told at college that they think I should apply to go to university next year. I know that university is expensive and I have a council flat that I do not want to give up if I move away. What help can I expect from social services? Answer
13. I am 15 and live with foster carers. I have been in this placement for 5 years. My social worker has said that I should now be preparing to leave care, that soon I will become the responsibility of the leaving care team and I will have something called a Pathway Plan. What is all this about? I do not want to leave here, can social services make me? Answer
14. I am an aftercare worker. I want to help local young people to set up their own after care group. How can ANV help me to do this? Answer
15. I work for a childrens charity and I want to find out about better ways to consult with the young people I work with, can ANV give me any advice? Answer
16. I have got a Review meeting next month, can ANV attend the meeting with me? Answer

Answers

1. I am 14 and living in care, can ANV help me to set up my own local group for other young people like me?

Yes, we can help you with info about how to start your own group, we will put you in touch with people who can provide you with a place to meet. If there is not A National Voice group near you we can help you start one or put you in touch with an existing group near to you.

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2. I am 16 and living in a children's home. Soon I will be leaving to go to live in a semi-independent unit. When I do will I still be in care? I am a bit scared about how I will manage with money and things. The unit is further away from where I am at college. What can I expect from social services?

If you are on a care order you will still be in care until you are 18 or until the court decides that the care order should end. If you are accommodated it is possible that social services will decide you are no longer in care but they will still have to provide you with support and assistance. When you are living a in semi independent unit you will not be able to claim social security but social services will have to pay for your accommodation and your living expenses. They also must assist you with your education and so ought to pay your expenses for going to college. All this should be in your Pathway Plan that you and your social worker or Personal Advisor put together.

If you are worried about managing yourself and money bring this up with your Personal Advisor or staff at the semi-independent unit. They should help you learn about paying bills and other money matters. There may be ways they can help you feel more confident. Remember everyone finds it difficult at first.

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3. Is ANV another part of Social Services?

We are an independent organisation and we are in no way connected to Social Services.

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4. Is it true that it costs more to stay in a childrens home per week than it does to stay in a private boarding school?

Yes, a childrens home usually costs more.

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5. My friend is the same age as me but lives in a different children home to me, she gets £2 a week more pocket money than me, is this right?

There is no national set amonunt for pocket money. So young people of the same age can receive different amounts. You should write to your Director of Social Services if you would like to see this changed.

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6. Can I see the files that are kept by Social Services about me?

Yes you can see your files, we suggest that you contact an advocate or friend to support you when you get to see your files. If you are having difficulty getting to see your files you should write or phone Social Services or your local Advocacy Service. See Links

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7. I am 17 and have just had a baby. I live with foster carers but my social worker and foster carer say I cannot stay here now and the council will give me a flat. How will I buy furniture and all the things me and the baby needs? I want to stay at home at the moment with my child but in a year or two I shall want to go back to college.

If it is not possible to stay with your foster carer getting your own flat may not be the only alternative. There may be places you can live where there is support for you and the baby for a while. Ask about this if you are worried about living alone. Whatever option you take you need to have a meeting to update your Pathway Plan. Social services should help you buy what you need. How much they will help varies a lot between social services departments, so ask what you can expect to get.

If you are no longer in care when you leave your foster carer you will be able to claim social security for you and the baby. You will need help from your social worker or Personal Advisor to do this. Just because you will be claiming social security does not mean that social services should not help you as well. Anything they give you will not affect your social security.

When you want to go back to college, even though you will be over 18 social services must assist you. At the time you will have to negotiate with them what help you need. You should also get expert advice about what social security you will be entitled to if you go back to college. The rules are complicated and not very logical.

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8. Is it true that I can ask for a review of my care plan at any time?

Yes the new leaving Care Act states that you can ask for a review of your care plan if you are unhappy with it.

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9. What is a Local Authority?

There are about 150 Local Authorities in England, each one is responsible for providing local services including Social Services for young people from care. They are also responsible for spending money which they get from the Government.

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10. I really don't get on with my Social Worker can I have a different one?

If you and your Social Worker don't get along you should ask Social Services if you can have another.

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11. I am 18 and living in a bedsit. I have been here 6 months since leaving foster care. Things have not gone well. I cannot find a job and I owe rent. The neighbours complain about the noise and have told my landlord. I have a Personal Advisor from the leaving care team but he has said there is not much they can do for me now I am 18. What shall I do?

Go back to your Personal Adviser and ask again for help. The Children (Leaving Care) Act, says that social services, through the Leaving Care Team, has a duty to keep in touch with young people aged 18-21 and sometimes older who have previously been looked after, to help you to find a job, or further education or training, and to give you general help and support. If the Leaving Care Team still says there is little they can do for you, you should ask them how to complain or to find an advocate who can support you in making your case.

Your Personal Adviser should help you to talk to your landlord - to help you sort out your problems with the neighbours (you may need to turn your stereo down or be careful about the number of friends who visit late at night), and also to help sort out problems with your rent. Social services might be able to help you with the rent that you owe. If you are unhappy living in the bedsit, your Personal Adviser should help you to think about whether there are other options locally.

Make sure that you are getting all the benefits that you might be entitled to while you are looking for work - Jobseekers Allowance (JSA), Housing Benefit etc. This will help you pay your rent, and again, your Personal Adviser should help you with budgeting so you don't get into trouble with your rent again.

You can also make contact with your local Connexions service - your Personal Adviser should help you with this. Connexions can help you find you work, or further education, training or personal development courses; check that you're getting the right benefits and find other support that might be useful to you.

For more info see the Children (Leaving Care) Act summary. >

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12. I am 19 and have been told at college that they think I should apply to go to university next year. I know that university is expensive and I have a council flat that I do not want to give up if I move away. What help can I expect from social services?

Social services still have a duty to assist you with your education, even if you are over 21 if it is part of your Pathway Plan that you should go to university. Ask for your Pathway Plan to be updated to include this.

There is a separate duty to provide you with vacation accommodation or money to pay for it while you are at university. How social services provide this help varies so it would be best to speak to your Personal Advisor as soon as you are applying to find out what they can offer. First you may want to think about where you want to go to university. The problems to be sorted out are greater if you want to move away from your home area.

You will also be able to get a student loan like everybody else. Whether you have to pay fees will depend on your status when you were in care. If you were on a care order you should not have to. If you were accommodated it is possible that you will be assessed on your parents income. This has caused problems in some areas. Ask for advice from the Student Loan Section in your local authority.

> See the summary of the Children (Leaving Care) Act for more info.

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13. I am 15 and live with foster carers. I have been in this placement for 5 years. My social worker has said that I should now be preparing to leave care, that soon I will become the responsibility of the leaving care team and I will have something called a Pathway Plan. What is all this about? I do not want to leave here, can social services make me?

The law says that social services must prepare you for the time when you will not be in care anymore. They must help you improve your self esteem and confidence, help you form relationships with other people and teach you practical skills such as budgeting, cooking and basic DIY.

In 2001 a new law came into force that said that as you are coming up to 16 social services must decide what you need and prepare a Pathway Plan with you when you are 16 to help you move out of care successfully. They also have to give you a Personal Advisor to support and keep in touch with you.

Social Services should not make you leave your foster carer. The Government says that they should help you stay in care until you are 18. If they start to suggest you leave they must take your views into account. If this happens you should ask them how to complain or to find an advocate who can support you in presenting your case. In some cases you can stay with your foster carer past 18.

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14. I am an aftercare worker. I want to help local young people to set up their own after care group. How can ANV help me to do this?

ANV has experience of helping set up such groups. We can put you in touch with other groups and offer you support.

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15. I work for a childrens charity and I want to find out about better ways to consult with the young people I work with, can ANV give me any advice?

Yes, we have carried out some consultations such as the Amplify Report. We can advise you about better ways to consult with young people.

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16. I have got a Review meeting next month, can ANV attend the meeting with me?

Sorry we have few staff and so we can't attend your review, but we can put you in touch with an advocate who can help. An advocate is someone who is independent of Social Services and who is only there to support you. > See links for info about advocates.

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