What happens when being looked after comes to an end?
When children and young people become looked after, it is essential that there is robust and flexible planning for their future from the outset.
Stability is crucial to children’s development and happiness, and the system should support stability through minimising moves and seeking permanent solutions wherever possible.
Some children or young people will stop being looked after to return successfully to their families, and some will be looked after at various times throughout their childhood as their families struggle to cope in particular situations.
If a young person is still looked after at school-leaving age, the council will put in place throughcare and aftercare services to support them into independent living. This transition to independence will be at a younger age than most young people leave the family home, and they will need significant support to help them to find somewhere suitable to live, take up further or higher education, training or work, and even to cope with the everyday aspects of living independently.
Duties of local authorities
Councils have a duty to provide advice and support to their young people up to age 19, and a power to do so up to age 21. They are encouraged to make sure that young people stay looked after for as long as possible, preferably until they reach 18 if that is in the best interests of the young person. They should make sure that when young people do leave care they are equipped with the necessary life skills, and receive adequate financial and other support at what is a difficult time for all young people.
Getting this package of support right is crucial to improving outcomes for care leavers to make sure they have the stability and support they require to fulfil their potential educationally and to develop the life skills to enable them to make a successful transition to independent living. For example, when a care leaver is at college, the local authority should make sure they have suitable accommodation, particularly outwith term-time, and that they are able to buy books and equipment, or travel to and from college.
Sections 29 and 30 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 set out councils’ responsibilities to care leavers.
Corporate families are in a unique position to be able to support young people as they leave home in providing housing, economic development, community learning and development, welfare rights, health and careers services, all of which will help to ensure young care leavers are not left to fend for themselves.
In addition, councils and their community planning partners are often the largest employers in their local areas and are in a good position to be able to offer work experience, apprenticeships and employment to their young people.
This approach fits comfortably with Getting It Right For Every Child, a central element of which is agencies’ ability to draw in support from each other when a young person needs it.