Care Experience

If you have been looked after or are in care, it means Wirral Council has a role in making sure you are safe and properly cared for.

The law (the Children Act 1989) says that when decisions are made about whether you should stay at home or go into care, the most important thing is what is best for you.

Why do some children and young people live in care?

There are many reasons why you or other young people might come into care:

• Your parents might not have been able to look after you because of illness or problems at home, including abuse or neglect

• A court may have decided that your home was not a safe place for you to live

• There may have been concerns that you or someone else could be at risk of serious harm

What types of care are there?

There are different types of care you might have experienced:

• Foster care – you live with foster carers who are not part of your birth family

• Children’s residential homes – you live with other young people and are supported by staff

• Adoption – you become part of a new family who look after you permanently

• Family and friends care – you live with relatives such as grandparents, aunts, or uncles

• Residential care – this is usually a home in the community where staff support you, and the number of young people living there can change

What does the law say?

When decisions are made about your life, the court must think about:

• What you feel and what you want to happen

• What you need to stay safe, feel happy, and do well in life

• Your age, personality, and how changes might affect you

• How well your parents or other caregivers can look after you

• Whether you have been hurt or not properly cared for, and if this could happen again

How might you have gone into care?

There are a few different ways you might have come into care:

• Your family may have agreed with Children’s Services for you to be looked after (this is called being “accommodated”)

• If adults couldn’t agree on what should happen, a court may have made a care order

• A care order is made when the court thinks you need to be protected

• This means Children’s Services share responsibility for your care with your parents

• A care order can stay in place until you turn 18

What else can the courts decide?

Courts can also make decisions about:

• Whether a child should be adopted

• Whether a young person is brought up in a different religion

• Whether a child can live outside the UK for more than 28 days

You have rights, and other people have a responsibility to respect your rights too. Laws like the Children Act and the Children and Young Persons Act are there to make sure you are treated fairly, wherever you live.

Wirral’s Promise to children and young people in care explains how the council and the people who work with you will support you and respect your rights.

What are your rights?

Your rights include:

• The right to get help and support from Children and Young People’s Services when you need it

• The right to healthcare

• The right to go to school and learn

• The right to be protected if you have been hurt or treated badly

• The right to see information written about you

• The right to keep in touch with your family and friends (when it is safe to do so)

• The right to be treated fairly

• The right to have your views, wishes and feelings listened to and taken seriously

• The right to complain and to get help to sort out problems

How you should be treated in care

When you are in care, there are rules about how adults should treat you.

If you live in a foster home or a children’s home, you should not be punished in any of these ways:

• Being stopped from having food or drink

• Being stopped from seeing or speaking to family or friends as a punishment

• Being hit, slapped, pinched, shaken, or treated roughly

• Being stopped from contacting your social worker, solicitor, or advocate

• Being made to wear clothes that could embarrass you or draw unwanted attention

• Being stopped from getting your usual medicine or seeing a doctor or dentist

• Being deliberately stopped from sleeping

Advice and Support

We promise to:

• support you in a caring way and go the extra mile

• listen to you and value your views and thoughts, as an individual and through your Children in Care Council and Care Leavers Councils

• respect you and strive to understand your position (by putting ourselves in your shoes), placing your needs, thoughts and feelings at the heart of all decisions about you

• make sure you feel confident and supported to attend your meetings and reviews if you wish

• help you to understand your care plan and the reasons why you are in our care

• make sure you are made aware of different services available to you so you can have the right support, at the right time, by the right person

Health and happiness

We promise to:

• support you in all your health needs - help you know how to find out about being healthy and support you to stay healthy and make sure you receive good health care whenever you need it (physical, emotional and mental)

• whenever possible, help you to keep in contact with the people who are important to you

• make sure you know your rights and entitlements and who to turn to if you are unhappy or wish to make a formal complaint
   

Growth and development

We promise to:

• provide a stable environment for you to live and learn

• make sure you live with people who care about you and support you

• help and support you to become independent

• do everything we can to build your skills and confidence to help you make a smooth move into adult life

• help you to have control of your life
   

Education and employment

We promise to:

• provide you with a named teacher in your school or education setting who understands the issues that you may face

• meet you outside of school if this is what you would prefer

• support you in any pathway you choose beyond school or college, including going to university or into and apprenticeship

• value your strengths, gifts and talents and encourage and guide you to be the best you can be and achieve the goals and dreams you have set and believe in you and celebrate your achievements

There are lots of people who want to help you when you come into care. Your social worker is one of them.

What is a social worker?

You will probably have had a social worker working with your family before you came into care. When you come into care they will visit to make sure you are happy and have settled in. They will work with you, your family and your carers to make your life better.

Your social worker is one of your main points of contact.

It is their job to make sure you:

• have a care plan and a placement plan

• get the right care that you need

• stay in touch with people who are important to you and monitor this as agreed in your care plan

• are involved in the decisions about your life

• have access to all of the services that you need to help you stay healthy, get a good education, and work with you and your carer to do this

They will do this by:

• visiting you regularly

• giving you my phone number and e-mail address so you can get in touch with me

• listening to your wishes and feelings and taking these into account when planning your care and your future

• attending your review and other important meetings

• working out a plan to make things better for you

What is a review?

They are regular meetings for you and the people who know you best. It's a chance to talk about how things are going for you. A review is the place to look at what is going well in your day-to-day life as well as plans for your future. The plan for your future is called your care plan.

What is an independent reviewing officer (IRO)?

Independent reviewing officers run reviews for children who are in care. They have an important role in deciding with you what happens in your future. They are independent so that they can listen to your views about how things are. They will look at the quality of care and support you receive.

Do I have to go to my review meeting?

By attending your review meeting you can let everyone know how you are getting on. Before the meeting, your independent reviewing officer (IRO) will speak to you to find out:

• how you are feeling about your care

• if you are happy with your care plan

• your thoughts, wishes and feelings

They can help you fill out a review form. This is where you can write down the things you want to talk about at the review.

Fill out a review form (age 5 to 11)

Fill out a review form (age 12 to 18)

Who will be at my review?

You can ask your IRO about leading the discussion at your own review. This means that you will be able to talk when you have something you want to say. You can also ask people other questions at the review.

The people who will be at your review are:

• you

• your social worker

• your foster carer or key worker

• usually your Mum, Dad or other relative

Other people might be involved, either by attending or by writing to the meeting. You will have your say in who should be invited.

How can I have my say?

Taking part in your review is one of the most important ways you can have your say. Your review should happen where you are most comfortable and feel most confident about speaking out. You can choose whether to go to all of the meeting or only a part of it.

Let your IRO know your views before the review. Your social worker can help you with this. There are lots of things you can do to make having your say easier. You can:

• fill out a review form using the links above

• talk to the adults who care for you about your feelings

• write things down

You can bring someone you trust or an advocate to your review. Let your social worker know before your review.

What if I am nervous about saying something wrong?

Don’t worry about being nervous or saying the wrong thing, getting into trouble or upsetting your parents or carers at the meeting.

Tell the IRO or an adult you trust before the meeting begins. The IRO will make sure that, for that part of the meeting, your parents or carers are not there. You can then speak honestly about how you feel. It’s very important that you do this.

There are people who can sort out whatever is making you worried or unhappy, as long as you let them know!

What happens after the meeting?

Speak to the IRO or your social worker to make sure you have completely understood what has been decided and what is going to happen. They will help you complete your own record of the review.

The IRO will write a report about the meeting which will be sent to you and everyone who has taken part. It will say what has been decided and what people are going to do.

You have a right to be heard!

What is my care plan?

Every young person in care must have a care plan. This will say what needs to be done to care for you and who should do it. It is important that you say if you don’t agree with your care plan.

If you disagree with your plan you should speak to:

• your carer

• your social worker

• your advocate

• the Participation and Engagement team

• your IRO

The plan will explain things like:

• why you are being cared for

• if there is a care order put in place for you

• who will keep in touch with school

• who will take you to the doctors if you are ill

• who you should continue to see for example family and friends

• who will help you if you have difficulties

• how long you will be cared for

• Other people, who know you, like teachers or health visitors, will also help to make the plan. This will be written down and you will be given a copy.

We want to make the best plan for you.

After your care plan is drawn up we will have a meeting to check you understand your plan and are happy with it. This is called a review meeting.

In order to thrive, children and young people have certain key needs that good parents meet. There are 7 things authorities should think about when looking after children and young people.

When you go into care your local authority becomes your ‘Corporate Parent’. This means the council must help you to grow up well and be happy, just like a parent should. 

Everyone who works for the council is responsible. They need to make sure you are safe and get the best possible care. This duty is shared with other organisations that work with the council too. They include schools, health services and housing departments.

The role of corporate parents is to act as the best parents for each child they look after. They should:

• take action by speaking out on their behalf

• arrange for appropriate services to meet their needs

• stand up for them

• represent them as needed to ensure they grow up in the best possible way

At all times a good corporate parent should think about what is best for all children .

The law provides guidance to corporate parents and states that, 

“In order to thrive, children and young people have certain key needs that good parents meet. There are 7 things authorities should think about when looking after children and young people".  These are:

• to act in the best interests, and promote the physical and mental health and well-being, of those children and young people 

• to encourage those children and young people to express their views, wishes and feelings

• to take into account the views, wishes and feelings of those children and young people

• to help children and young people get the best services from the council and its partners

• to promote high aspirations, and seek to secure the best outcomes, for those children and young people

• for children and young people to be safe, with stability in their home lives, relationships and education or work; and

• to prepare those children and young people for adulthood and independent living

Corporate parents in each local authority work together. They share responsibility for acting on behalf of the children and young people in their care. 

If you're working with a social worker, in care, leaving care, or getting support from Children's Services, you might hear some words that don't always make sense straight away. Here's a simple guide to what they mean:

Advocate

An independent person who can help you speak up, share your views, or make a complaint if something isn't right.

Assessment

A conversation and process where professionals learn about your situation to understand what support you might need.

CAFCASS

An independent organisation that helps courts make decisions about what is best for children and young people.

CAMHS

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. They support children and young people with their mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Care Order

A legal decision made by a court which gives the local authority shared responsibility for keeping you safe and making important decisions about your care.

Care Plan

A document that sets out what support you need, where you live, and the plans for your future.

Child in Need

A child or young person who needs extra support from Children's Services to stay safe, healthy and achieve their potential.

Child Protection Plan

A plan put in place when professionals are worried a child may be at risk of serious harm and needs extra support to stay safe.

Children's Services

The council department that works with children, young people and families. Some people still call this Social Services.

Connected Person

Someone you already know and trust, such as a relative, family friend, teacher or youth worker.

Corporate Parent

When a young person is in care, the council becomes their "corporate parent". This means it has a responsibility to support, protect and care for them, just like a good parent would.

Designated Teacher

A teacher in school whose job is to support children and young people who are in care.

Foster Care

Living with approved foster carers who look after you when you cannot live with your parents.

Health Assessment

A check-up that helps make sure you are healthy and getting any support you need.

Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO)

A person who checks that your care plan is working well and that your views are being listened to.

Local Authority

Another name for your council. They provide services such as education, social care and housing.

Looked After Child (LAC)

A child or young person who is being cared for by the local authority, either through an agreement with their family or through a court order.

Parental Responsibility (PR)

The legal rights and responsibilities adults have to make important decisions about a child's life.

Pathway Plan

A plan created with you when preparing to leave care, helping you move towards independence and adult life.

Personal Advisor (PA)

Someone who supports young people leaving care and helps them access advice, opportunities and practical support.

Personal Education Plan (PEP)

A plan that helps make sure children and young people in care get the support they need to do well in education.

Placement

The place where you live while you are being cared for by the local authority.

Review

A meeting where people check how things are going and whether any changes are needed to your care plan.

Special Guardianship Order (SGO)

A legal arrangement where someone other than your parents takes long-term responsibility for caring for you.

Supervision Order

A court order that allows a child to remain at home while Children's Services provide support and monitoring.