Hussain
Hussain spent his adolescence moving between children's homes before living in semi-independent accommodation. His time in care was marked by a lack of support – his social worker only carried out statutory visits and did not offer any emotional guidance, and his personal advisor would not help until he turned 18. When it was time to leave care, Hussain’s local authority tried to evict him from his accommodation, despite his high-risk status and rights. He was given one month’s notice and no pathway plan. During this time, he felt completely alone – his religious needs were ignored, and he experienced mistreatment from staff who were supposed to support him. Although he had not yet enrolled, Hussain’s university stepped in to provide emergency housing and later offered him a permanent place in student accommodation. He also received legal support from the student union, which helped him take action against the local authority and other others who had failed in their duty of care.
Hussain is a Pakistani British man in his early twenties, currently working towards a degree. Clips read by an actor.
More about me...
My experience showed me just how broken the care system can be. I waited two years to hear back about a formal complaint, and by then, the damage was done. While I understand that funding and resources are limited, care-experienced young people shouldn’t be the ones left to suffer because of it.
I believe every care leaver should be supported by social workers who are trauma-informed and culturally sensitive. That kind of understanding could have made a huge difference in my life. I’m now planning a career in social care. I want to be the person I needed when I was growing up – someone who listens, respects young people, and never lets them fall through the cracks.
Hussain said he took legal action after the local authority failed to meet their basic duties and didn’t give him a meaningful, up-to-date pathway plan (read by an actor).
Hussain said he took legal action after the local authority failed to meet their basic duties and didn’t give him a meaningful, up-to-date pathway plan (read by an actor).
There was a social worker that carried on. Usually this isn’t a case. The only reason why the social worker carried on post-18 was because the local authority hadn’t done some of their duties. So, they hadn’t updated a pathway plan. They hadn’t updated a PEP, a Personal Education Plan, and things that Ofsted, they kept on saying, “Ofsted, would have said, ‘oh my, God, they weren’t done,’” so that’s the only reason why they asked the social worker to stay on and work with me, and not because of me, because what Ofsted would say to them, if Ofsted came and looked at my file: “Oh, why wasn’t this done before he turned 18?” Other agencies were shocked. My college, when they did the PEP, and they were like: “Oh, why does he need one, he’s over 18 now?” “Oh, we just need it for our file.” Really?
So, as I mentioned, I took legal proceedings about this pathway plan. It’s a basic duty. It’s a basic thing that the local authority should be doing. The social worker drafted a brief one, a very brief, and the minimal contact she’d had with me. My solicitor at the time, legal aid funded, shredded that in a letter of claim and basically said this pathway plan is unlawful, it doesn’t meet the criteria set out in law and she’s quite clearly specified what the law was.
And then the local authority came back and were like: “Yes, it is unlawful,” etc, and they were gonna do it again, and stuff, but every time I’ve had to take legal action to get it updated.
So even now, I don’t have an up-to-date pathway plan. Only last week, or the week before, I’ve emailed to say I don’t even have an up-to-date pathway plan again. ’cause it’s every six months.
They hadn’t done it, and I was asking for it to be done, that’s when I complained again and said, “Every single time you haven’t done it, I’ve had to take legal action, why can’t it just be done ’cause it’s your basic job, that is what PAs should be doing?”
Hussain had carers come to his home to teach him life skills, but he felt this was unnecessary as he had been independent from a young age (read by an actor).
Hussain had carers come to his home to teach him life skills, but he felt this was unnecessary as he had been independent from a young age (read by an actor).
The 15 hours I asked to be stopped because the support worker would turn up, she said, “I don’t really know what to do with you,” she goes: “shall we do a jigsaw?” I said, “What is your role?” and she said, “Oh, I’m supposed to be helping you with independent living skills, but you know everything. You do the Hoover, you do the washing, you do everything.” I says to her: “Do you know that I have been living on my own for a long, long time?” Even before I came into care, as a child, at the age of six, I used to be left in a home on my own for weeks at a time, and I used to get on with it.
Like at the end of the day I was... I was raised mature myself because of my experiences. So she was... I then had to say to her, and I feel bad even saying this out loud, but I said to her: “Look, I know you have to do 15 hours a week, but just all you come and do is play jigsaws and sit here, I’m happy for me to sign that you do 15 hours a week, but you don’t need to come.”
Hussain said his local authority tried to evict him on his 18th birthday, leaving him to fight for his right not to be made homeless.
Hussain said his local authority tried to evict him on his 18th birthday, leaving him to fight for his right not to be made homeless.
In a nutshell, me leaving care, it was quite a poor experience. My local authority began to... to try and evict me on the day I turned 18. So, on my birthday, on my 18th birthday, I had plans to go and celebrate that, but the local authority were trying to make me homeless.
I was in supported, semi-independent living accommodation, unregulated may I add, and the local authority basically had served them notice to say that we will stop funding this placement on... on this day because he’s turning 18. So, the placement had then obviously passed that notice on to me to say that you need to find somewhere else to live, pack up all your things and off you go. You’ll need to leave on your birthday and present at the local housing organisation and say that, you know, you’re homeless and you’ve got nowhere to go. So that was my 18th birthday.
I then refused to leave, I said, “I’m not gonna leave,” I says, “I know my rights as a... a care leaver.” The local authority cannot make a care leaver homeless, the law clearly states that, and I had to then state particular sections of the law. The local authority still was very insistent that they were gonna evict me and make me homeless, and instructed the placement provider to change the locks when I’m out. So I barricaded myself in and did not leave and said, “I’m not gonna leave. I’ve got nowhere else to go. This is supposed to be my birthday, it’s supposed to be a day where I’m supposed to be enjoying, I’m 18, I’m finally an adult. I feel like I’ve got autonomy and freedom and that... and that you’ve thrown this bombshell on me. You’ve done no work with me up until this point to find alternative accommodation, and you remembered the day before, when I... I turn 18 that, ‘oh, yeah, you know, this is what you need to do.
Hussain said he was told to present as homeless on his 18th birthday, but he refused to leave because he knew his rights.
Hussain said he was told to present as homeless on his 18th birthday, but he refused to leave because he knew his rights.
I was in supported, semi-independent living accommodation, unregulated may I add, and the local authority basically had served them notice to say that we will stop funding this placement on... on this day because he’s turning 18. So, the placement had then obviously passed that notice on to me to say that you need to find somewhere else to live, pack up all your things and off you go. You’ll need to leave on your birthday and present at the local housing organisation and say that, you know, you’re homeless and you’ve got nowhere to go. So that was my 18th birthday.
I then refused to leave, I said, “I’m not gonna leave,” I says, “I know my rights as a... a care leaver.” The local authority cannot make a care leaver homeless, the law clearly states that, and I had to then state particular sections of the law. The local authority still was very insistent that they were gonna evict me and make me homeless, and instructed the placement provider to change the locks when I’m out. So I barricaded myself in and did not leave and said, “I’m not gonna leave. I’ve got nowhere else to go.
Hussain enjoyed travelling and going on holiday abroad (read by an actor).
Hussain enjoyed travelling and going on holiday abroad (read by an actor).
So since leaving care I’ve been on three holidays, well, two holidays and a pilgrimage, but even that I tried to make into a holiday.
When I went on holiday, I went to Turkey.
Nice.
So in Marmaris, that was really nice, and then I’ve been to Paris,—
Wow, nice.
— to Disneyland, and then went to Paris, and then I went on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
Hussain said care leavers often struggle to get social housing because leaving care teams pass them to housing services, where local connection rules create more barriers (read by an actor).
Hussain said care leavers often struggle to get social housing because leaving care teams pass them to housing services, where local connection rules create more barriers (read by an actor).
There needs to be work, before that point, like I’d say at least six months before to try and find alternative accommodation, to look at bidding, to look at things like that. The local authority have a tendency to sort of say, “You’re no longer our problem, you’re the local housing organisation problem,” when really the local housing organisation just another department within the same council, so surely there needs to be a bit more joined up working and somebody needs to take responsibility. But even within the same organisation, the council, you’ll get passed from pillar to post. The local housing organisation said I was the leaving care children’s... social care’s responsibility. Children’s social care said I’m the local housing organisation responsibility.
Because I had been living in my home town, I was born in this town but I was a... I was a Looked after Child in another City, and I... and my care order was with this City but I’d always... I’d spent a lot of time in my home town. I was born here I went to primary school here I went to high school here and then I was moved around the country. So I was moved to three different cities this is right before I turned... well, in my leaving care stages of care, so I’d say between 17 and 18, or 16 and 18 even: three cities and then back to my home town So I had a local connection to this town and then I was then had applied to go to university here I went to college here So I... I had to fight to prove that I had a local connection, and the local housing organisation still said, “Oh, yeah, you might have a local connection, that’s not the issue, you’re a care leaver from that City, so my home town were saying we’re not accepting responsibility and saying, you know, and you’re not our problem, you need to present to their local housing organisation and I said, “That’s not the case at all. No, it doesn’t matter where I’m a care leaver from, I’ve got a local connection. I was actually born in here and I’ve spent... I’ve been to all these schools here and my GP’s is here Like, you... you know, and I... it was a big fight, and I had to self-advocate a lot.
Hussain said his landlord threatened to change the locks to try to evict him unlawfully, and that he feels he was moved from a settled home another time so the local authority could save money.
Hussain said his landlord threatened to change the locks to try to evict him unlawfully, and that he feels he was moved from a settled home another time so the local authority could save money.
The local authority still was very insistent that they were gonna evict me and make me homeless, and instructed the placement provider to change the locks when I’m out. So, I barricaded myself in and did not leave and said, “I’m not gonna leave. I’ve got nowhere else to go. This is supposed to be my birthday, it’s supposed to be a day where I’m supposed to be enjoying, I’m 18, I’m finally an adult. I feel like I’ve got autonomy and freedom and that... and that you’ve thrown this bombshell on me. You’ve done no work with me up until this point to find alternative accommodation, and you remembered the day before, when I... I turn 18 that, ‘oh, yeah, you know, this is what you need to do.’”
That’s really interesting you ask that because I don’t know the reason to this day. I requested my records, and even then the reason’s not really clearly documented in there. I was led to believe at the time it was due to finances and the local authority being under pressure. When I read my subject access request as well, there’s nothing really clear to identify any reason, so I do feel like it was just because of funding… where it was cheaper. And when I went to... the provider in other cities and they were the same provider, it was semi-independent accommodation, and I remember asking him and saying, “Do you know why I’ve moved?” and things like that, I was... I was flying where I was, and he said to me, “Ah, basically the local authority will use wherever they think’s appropriate, but also they are on budgets, they’ve got to like try and find accommodation that’s gonna be able to...” and stuff like that.
Hussain’s GCSEs were based on predicted grades from two months of work before he had to move schools, and because of Covid they became his final results, and didn’t show his true potential
Hussain’s GCSEs were based on predicted grades from two months of work before he had to move schools, and because of Covid they became his final results, and didn’t show his true potential
So then, teachers were giving grades, but then they had to go on evidence that was in front of them.
Because I’d only been there at the start of the year, so from September to November, and then had been gone all that time until the end of the year, when it came to results day, I had grades such as 2s, and 3s, and 4s, and 5s, and I had a social worker saying, “Well done, you’ve got one 4, and one 5, that’s amazing, you’re my best...” what did she call me... her best young person, “you’ve actually passed some GCSEs and I needed some passes, I needed some wins.” It was like it was about her rather than it was about me, you know like sh... and I then said, “Actually, you’re saying congratulations, but I think this is a really poor set of results,” “Oh, don’t be so harsh on yourself, they’re great,” or, “amazing,” I went: “No, it’s poor because this isn’t what I was capable of, I’m a very intelligent young person. If I want to go to university, you need at least five GCSEs, and I haven’t got them,” and I says, “and I know I can get them.”
Hussain felt his support from his personal adviser was more about ticking boxes than providing meaningful support (read by an actor).
Hussain felt his support from his personal adviser was more about ticking boxes than providing meaningful support (read by an actor).
So, on that visit they’d come and just say, “Ah, so I’ve just got a few things that I need to go through. So, how’s your health?” Then they’d ask about education. They’d just cover a few brief topics and make a few notes and off they went. Like anything that they said they’d look into, you’d never hear back. Then when you would ring a few weeks and so you couldn’t get through to them, and you asked duty and say, “Oh, ’cause they was supposed to look into this, and look into this, and look into this.” Well, there’s no actions on that visit, it doesn’t say that they were gonna need to do anything: ‘ah, so they just came to tick a box again.’
I remember when... I said... mentioned before, I barricaded myself in and the social worker needed to do a visit, and she rang me and said, “Just come to the window and just... you don’t have to let us in, just show me yourself at the window and once I’ve seen you, I’ll drive off, I just need to see you so I can just tick that I’ve done my statutory visit.”
Hussain explained that Covid disrupted his GCSEs, and his higher resit grades proved the predicted ones didn’t reflect his true ability (read by an actor).
Hussain explained that Covid disrupted his GCSEs, and his higher resit grades proved the predicted ones didn’t reflect his true ability (read by an actor).
So, I had to go back to that school, which they... they were great at the time, but then obviously when it came to results day I really... my view changed on them completely, it was like I couldn’t believe they’d done it to me. I was literally crying on results day and things anyways. So I got them to book the resits, ’cause the Government set up that scheme to do a resit. I then resat History. I got... where they gave me a 2, I got a 5. It still wasn’t as good as I could have got, but with... and obviously I didn’t get any extra education or anything.
They were a bit funny when I asked them for the text books so I can actually revise, and then they did give me a copy though, lended me a copy, I would have given it back, so it wasn’t like I...I weren’t really bothered about keeping their text book, I just wanted to try and self-learn and go in and actually be able to do a good job. So then, yeah, I got a 5 there. English Language: they gave me a 4, and I got a 6. Maths: they gave me a 4, I got a 6, and there was another one, I can’t remember. But... yeah. I... that was just to show that obviously if I got a 6 and that was without any tutors, without any private tuition, without me being in a classroom, if I hadn’t been moved, I do think I would have got them 7s and 8s that I was predicted.
— for a fact. And then I did get three A‑levels, so I got distinction star in Health and Social Care. Distinction star in Applied Law, and then I got a B in Criminology.