Care leavers’ transitions to independence

I didn’t really, I didn’t receive it. I didn’t really know of my rights at all. I was very much confused to most of that.

What do you think would be the best way for them to receive information about  what they’re entitled to? What their rights are? What their options are?

I would just say  to ask, and to yeah, to not be afraid to ask what their rights are. What they are entitled to and also to critically challenge if they feel like they’re not receiving what they should be receiving, and would there be resources where they could access to know of their rights. Like  would they be able  to research into their rights, or are they very much like kind of dependent on somebody telling them that what is the situation with that?

I had a meeting with  like, two of the social work managers where they didn’t... I didn’t know about one of the rights, up until they told me, and no-one’s really communicated them with me until I had a meeting with the managers. And they were like: “Oh, you know you can...” like, how I can request my care files. I didn’t know anything about that until they told me and none of the social workers have ever told me my rights, or anything like that.

I think... I don’t know,  like, talking to the PA obviously. When I left care, I reached out to some of the managers and I asked my PA to get... ’cause you’re entitled to an advocate, so I talked to my advocate about it, as well, and because I was automatically entitled to one, I talked to her and she got me in contact with the higher up. And they told me about, like, how I can request my own files and I worked with them to help try improve social care system.

But I got it... and my advocate was a big one for it because I automatically got assigned one when I hit 18.

Oh, OK. So, that advocate was available to you?

Yeah. And she was very... like, she knew what she was doing and knowing what I’m entitled to and what my rights are. If I was ever worried to talk up, she would do it for me.

Sometimes it could be my decision. But a lot of the time it has been a decision made on my behalf, and also with social services, I’ve not had a PA since I was 21; they closed my case at 21. So, I’ve not had any support from social care at all, and I’ve only just recently got hold of a duty number so I can get support, but I think I’ve left that too late. So, I’ve only got a year until they will cut me off completely.

He said he was retiring, [erm] he was quite an old fella, but he said he was retiring and that my case was going to be closed at 21. But I only recently found out that I could have said no to that. Apparently, I could have said no to my case being closed, but I just said yes ’cause I felt poor.

Oh, OK. So—

I felt like a... and so I just... I literally just agreed with it and my case was closed.

OK. But there was the option to say no, I guess?

I wasn’t aware at the time; I thought they were just closing my case. Like I thought it was just procedure at 21 to close my case. I didn’t really know much about it, and  I didn’t think I was gonna get a change of PA or anything, so I just agreed to it.

I think the council would have been willing to help me. I think the problem was generally just my social worker ’cause he was not relaying my—

The  first one?

Yeah.

OK.

I think he was just not relaying my messages, like my requests, which is why I did not get the things I wanted, or needed. But I think it would have been really helpful for me to at least try and get to sixth form instead of college and do A levels. But... yeah.

So... but yeah, sort of like... sort of just that. And when I complained about him, it took quite a while to change my social worker, yeah.

So how long until you were able to get the new one?

So, there’s someone called the Independent Reviewing Officer, the IRO, they usually come  during child care review and they gave me their email address and said if there’s anything you need to talk about, like your social worker, or whatever, you can contact us. So, I sent them an email and it was like... like the moment I realised that things are not going well, and I’d love to get more support, I contacted them. I never got any reply to that email.

I don’t think anyone sits you down and tells you that: “Oh, this is what your rights are and this is what  you can get.” I found out about the services the local council is supposed to provide through a different organisation. So, I was just volunteering and they said, “Which local council are you with?” and I was like: “[City],” and they told me there’s a website called... I forgot its name, there’s a website that lists all the services that every local council is supposed to provide. So that’s how I found out things, the things that I can ask for, my rights and things so.

So initially they told me I was gonna leave the property on the 9th, but then on the letter they, they wrote me that I was supposed to leave on the 27th. So that was…a lot earlier than what they told me. So, the charity found me a lawyer because my previous lawyer, which was the lawyer who er dealed with my asylum claim couldn't take on this case. So, they had to find me another lawyer. The lawyer, when he saw me, he wrote them a letter, as soon as he did they responded quickly and they gave me a place to stay on the next day. But the place they gave me was so far away from where I was living before, from where I have got used to.

Okay, then I told my lawyer about my past experience and my health problems, so he arranged for a doctor to see me and the doctor asked me lots of questions about my past, and my current situation. After that, the doctor said I should be able to get a council property because of my case and she applied for a council property for myself and I got one two months ago now.

I mean, it took me, like, six months to get given the local care offer, which I didn’t even realise was a thing until my sister left care and was like: “I got given this local care offer,” and I was like: ‘uh?’ I think that was just my circumstances – ’cause it was rushed – but I do know them now. Also, something people should find out.

OK. So how did... I mean, did you have to ask for it or did you—?

Yeah, I... I did. I had to, like, message my new leaving care worker and be like: “Yo, so apparently...”

Oh, OK. Because you heard from your sister?

[chuckles] Yeah.

OK. So perhaps they need to, like, tell you about that as well.

Yeah, I think it might be dependent on county councils, and stuff, as well though, because I’ve got a friend from [LA] and she’s been given it at 17, the whole, like, local offer thing, and I was like: “You were given it a year before me.”

Oh, wow, OK. OK.

It is really depending on the organisation skills of the workers I think at that point.

Mm, OK.—

It’s a distant error. It’s a... just inconsistency amongst each service.

Mm. So when do you think that you should... like, care leavers should be getting those sorts of... that sort of information?

Yes, it... definitely before 17. I think 16, 17 because you also have the option to go into semi-independence at 16 which, like, no-one knows unless they get told directly. So, it really is important that the information is given way before you’re 18, like at least a year in advance so you have that time to be like: ‘this is a route I wanna take.’ ’cause if you just want to go straight into independence and you have time to also add yourself onto waiting lists for council housing, and stuff, it is... it would be useful to have the plan from pretty much 17 and a half at the latest.

Yeah, it was... and I was very lucky in that sense because I did have some good support workers who were very knowledgeable on what I was able to access and what I was entitled to. So, they taught me about the local offer, so things like [organisation] grant, things that I was able to access to support myself. They helped me get furn... you know, the white housing goods for my furniture in the household. They helped me out quite a bit. And it’s because of them being so good at their job, that I do that now for other care leavers, and I tell them what they’re entitled to. But unfortunately, working alongside the PAs and the care leavers, I also see that not everyone... like they’re not all clued up and knowledgeable on what is accessible, which is why I do what I do, because a lot of care leavers just do not know about the local offer and they don’t know certain things that they should know. So, I like to preach that and make sure they’re up to date, because things are always changing, and the entitlements are always getting better thankfully in our local area; it’s not the same for everyone.

So, it’s difficult really on how to get that support to young people.  Some semi-independent placements are great at knowing what young people are entitled to. Like my very last place, they knew what you were entitled to and things, and they were amazing. But I think Children in Care Council’s a really important part of that, because what I learnt really came from Children in Care Council. And being taught about legislation on Children in Care Council was what helped me to learn how to understand legislation, so now I can know where to go to research things. And I found out a lot researching independently, but I wouldn’t have known where to even start if I hadn’t been on Children in Care Council. And so often semi-independent placements would come to me asking about  rights for young people and stuff, ’cause they knew that I either had the info, or knew where to get the info. So, I think Children in Care Councils are a really important part of that.

I feel like there should be... they should definitely be told by their PA, and the PA should have a better knowledge of the care offer in that area, and any changes that is made to it. But because it’s such a big... the care offer is such a big document, it should be, like, provided to care leavers, but maybe in a more, like, young person-friendly language – still with it being, like, legally correct –but maybe more like young person-friendly so they’re more likely to read it and understand it.

I’ve seen... I don’t think I’ve seen the legal policy, but I’ve been told what is on the legal policy and how that changes to the one that I’ve been shown which is like a young person-friendly one. But the one that... I don’t know about now, but the one, like, a few months ago that they were showing us that was like young person-friendly, it missed out a lot of specifics, so it wasn’t, like, very clear or where you stand legally. So it wasn’t that helpful.