16P0029

Written evidence submitted by the Department for Education

Introduction

1. Transition to adulthood is often a turbulent time: transitions are not always sequential - leave school, work, relationship, setting up home, parenthood. Young people can become adult in one area but not in others. Whilst most young people know they can call on the support of their families to help them through unforeseen difficulties, care leavers may not be able to rely on informal support if things do not work out as they make their journey into adulthood.
2. Last year in England nearly 10,000 young people left care aged 16 or over. These young people often move to independent living much earlier than other young people; the majority have left their last care placement (foster care or residential home) by the age of 18 and some as early as 16.
3. As a group, care leavers are over-represented in indicators of social exclusion, including homelessness. There are a number of reasons why the transition towards independent living is difficult - the young age at which care leavers are expected to make this transition; the inadequate range of appropriate accommodation and support available; and the quality of the planning and preparation received by care leavers.

Government vision

4. Improving the lives of children in care and care leavers is a priority for the government. We want to see:

Fewer young people leaving care at aged 16. More leaving at aged 18 and supported in “staying put” arrangements until aged 21;

Local authorities providing high quality support to care leavers across the country;

The voice of the child in care and care leavers at the heart of all decision making; and,

Mainstream and specialist services supporting care leavers up to aged 25 so that they:

-live in suitable and safe accommodation;

-participate in employment, education or training;

-are healthy ; and

-build successful relations with partners and friends.

What research shows

5. Research studies show that those young people who have more gradual, extended and supported transitions from care have better outcomes than those who leave care early[1].
6. Other studies show that young people’s main pathways to adulthood – accommodation, careers, health and wellbeing - are closely connected and reinforcing, and that they can be assisted by different forms of support including leaving care teams, mentoring, and positive family and kinship networks[2].
7. Children in care often have chaotic lives and achieve much lower educational attainment than their peers. Research, however, shows that the right support at schools and maximising the incentives to care leavers to attend further and higher education courses can improve outcomes[3].
8. Research also shows that many care leavers struggle to build and have relationships with others, and are more likely to suffer from depression and other mental health problems[4].

What care leavers think

9. The Children’s Rights Director’s report of 2012, After Care[5], gives the views of care leavers and those about to leave care, both on their preparation for leaving care, their lives after care, and, retrospectively, on the effect being in care has made on their lives.

Almost half (44%) of the care leavers said they thought their lives were better since leaving care than they had been in care – almost half (46%) also thought they had been made to leave care too early.

Almost half again (49%) thought that they had not been sufficiently prepared for leaving care.

Nearly two thirds (64%) of the care leavers did not know enough about their rights when leaving care.
 

10. The Children’s Care Monitor 2013 report shortly to be published by the Children’s Rights Director shows:

80% had a support social worker or other caseworker, and 74% (a rising proportion) rated the support they are getting as good or very good.

69% of care leavers reported being in the right accommodation for them, and 77% (a rising proportion) rated the standard of their current accommodation as good or very good.

21% of care leavers considered that they had been discriminated against because of their care background. 

What government has done

Listened directly to care leavers

11. Edward Timpson, the Children’s Minister, has held quarterly meetings with a group of care leavers from the Care Leavers Foundation to talk about how to improve support to care leavers. This has included focussed discussions on health, and, separately, welfare benefits, which have involved officials from DH and DWP.

General

12. Introduced new regulations and guidance which came into force in April 2011 to bolster the quality of support by building on the best local practice. For example, local authorities must offer a care leaver a personal adviser where they wish to resume education and training beyond the age of 21 and up to aged 25.
13. Changed the law so that Directors of Children’s Services (DCS) sign off plans whenever a 16 or 17 year leaves care to ensure that young people leave care only when they are ready and prepared.
14. Given young people a new right to request a review of their care/pathway plan when they have concerns about how they are being supported.
15. Launched the Charter for Care Leavers – a pledge between local authorities and young people leaving care – which sets out the support they can expect right up to the age of 25, with over 120 local authorities now signed up.
16. We are introducing a clear statutory framework for long term foster care to make it a real permanence option where long term foster care is the plan for the child.

Financial Support

17. Introduced the Junior Independent Savings Account for all care leavers, with over 46,000 accounts now open with a £200 contribution from government.
18. Written to all local authorities asking them to improve their financial support for care leavers, resulting in the tripling of the number of councils now paying £2,000 or more through the Setting Up Home Allowance (Care Leavers Grant).

Developing best practice

19. Awarded a grant of £100,000 to the Care Leavers Foundation to help local authorities review and improve their care leaver services, and a grant of £200,000 to the National Care Advisory Service (Catch 22) over two years to help improve support and outcomes for young people leaving residential care.
20. Continued to fund Catch 22 to run the FromCare2Work programme that gives care leavers opportunities for work experience, apprenticeships and full time jobs. Since 2009 the programme has worked with 150 local authorities and engaged with 119 employers. Over this period 14,000 young people have benefitted from opportunities created as a result of FromCare2Work support to local authorities. Some 2,500 young people have gained employment as a result of this programme.

Care leavers outcomes

21. The latest outcome figures for 2013 show:

The number of care leavers aged 19 has grown 5% to 6,930 from 6,610 last year;

The number of care leavers who are NEET at aged 19 is 2,360 (34%). This compares with 15.5% of 18 year olds in the general population. This is a decrease in the right direction from 36% in 2012;

The number of care leavers living in suitable accommodation remains the same as in 2012 at 88%; and,

The number of care leavers in Staying Put arrangements went up slightly from 320 to 330.

Select Committee Terms of Reference

(1)  The kinds of accommodation that are provided for young people aged 16 and 17 who are looked after by local authorities
 

(2)  The suitability, safety and regulatory nature of alternative accommodation provided for young people who are aged 16 and 17 and looked after by local authorities.

22. Looked after children aged 16 & 17 are mainly placed in four types of accommodation:

Foster care;

Residential care;

‘Other arrangements’;

With their parents.

Placements with local authority foster carers

23. A majority of 16 & 17 year old looked after children are living in a foster care placement (51%). There are different types of foster care:

Emergency: when children need somewhere safe to stay for a few nights.

Short-term: carers look after children for a few weeks or months while plans are made for the child’s future.

Short breaks: when children who are disabled, have special needs or have behavioural difficulties regularly stay for a while with a family.

Long-term: where a child stays with their foster family until they reach 18 (Children and Families Bill is extending this to age 21).

‘Family and friends’ or ‘kinship’: a child goes to live with someone they already know, usually a family member.

Placement in residential care

24. A minority of 16 &17 year old looked after children live in residential care (22%). Residential care placements vary greatly in terms of the type of service they provide. Like foster care they cater for children who require emergency; short-term; short breaks; and long term care.
25. Secure children’s homes provide care and accommodation for young people who have been placed by local authorities under secure accommodation welfare orders for their welfare and protection.

Placement of a looked after child in ‘other arrangements’

26. A minority number of 16 & 17 year old looked after children are in ‘other arrangements’ (22%).
27. These placements include:

placements in a family or domestic setting, where the adults responsible for their care and/or support are not approved as foster carers (supported lodgings);

foyers and other kinds of supported accommodation services;
 

placements in independent accommodation with ‘floating support’,where housing support workers make regular visits to accommodation to assist young people to develop the skills needed to manage in their own tenancy in future; and
 

other unregulated settings that provide support to the child.

28. Unlike foster and residential care these placements are not regulated under the Care Standards Act 2000 and as a result will not be inspected by Ofsted.
29. However statutory guidance says that it is essential that the responsible authority takes every step to establish that the child’s needs are matched to the services provided by the placement. Also In every case, before making the placement the local authority must establish that the accommodation is suitable. Our guidance statutory guidance says suitable accommodation is:

suitable for the child in light of his/her needs, including his/her health needs;
 

one in which the responsible authority has satisfied itself as to the character and suitability of the landlord or other provider; and
 

complies with health and safety requirements related to rented

accommodation.

30. Ofsted inspect local authorities’ performance on meeting their statutory duties in this area.

With their parents

31. A tiny number of children are placed with their parents (4%). Placements are normally only used in cases where rehabilitation is being considered, or where it is planned that a child subject to a Care Order will spend a period of more than 24 hours in the care of a parent. All the statutory monitoring mechanisms for looked after children continue to apply.

(3)  Whether the Government’s announcement to extend local authorities’ duties to support young people wishing to stay with foster carers until the age of 21 should apply to those in residential care?

32. Making the transition from a children’s home is very different from a foster home. For some children leaving a children’s homes means moving into residential accommodation for adults. For others it will be supported accommodation back in their home community – many children’s homes are miles from where their families live. We also know that a disproportionate number of young people leave children’s homes and go home to live with their families.
33. Too many children’s homes are not of sufficient quality and our immediate priority is to significantly improve the quality of residential care and we have set out our plans to do this. We have to get the system right before considering whether it would be right to extend the age children can stay in homes. We need to see fundamental reform implemented first.
34. The evidence for placing such a duty on supporting staying put arrangements for young people in foster care is robust. Staying put arrangements were tested out in pilots and proved to have a positive impact on their outcomes. Research from Fostering Network since the pilot ended, show that where these arrangements continue they show similar positive outcomes. We do not have the evidence for children’s homes as they were not covered by pilots.
35. There are also a number of practical and legal issues we would need to consider and test out before placing a duty on local authorities to have to provide staying put arrangements in children’s homes. You would have vulnerable adults living in homes with much younger vulnerable children. Also a children’s home accommodating three care leavers and one child would no longer technically be a children’s home. We recognise that these shouldn’t be viewed as insurmountable barriers and are working with the National Children’s Bureau and Who Cares? Trust, who are looking at the practical issues of introducing staying put arrangements in children’s homes.

(4)  Whether provision of alternative accommodation should be extended to the age of 21.

36. The government is committed to ensuring that care leavers are provided with good quality, stable accommodation and support to make a successful transition to adulthood. We want to ensure that all care leavers whatever their placement whilst in the care system are provided with appropriate support when they leave care and that includes a range of good quality accommodation.
37. We have strengthened the legal framework so that local authorities have a duty to provide all care leavers with practical support which includes helping them find and live in a safe and secure place until they are 21, or 25 if they are still in education or training.
38. The revised ‘Planning Transition for Adulthood for Care Leavers’ statutory guidance (2011) says care leavers up to 21 – or 25 if still in education and training - must be supported to live in safe and suitable accommodation, e.g. supported housing and foyers. These can offer young people an opportunity to live more independently whilst still having other people around (staff and young people) and receiving support to develop independent living skills and work towards their goals in education, training, employment and other areas of life. The guidance makes clear that bed and breakfast accommodation is not suitable, and includes a check list in regulations on issues to be considered when determining that the accommodation is suitable.
39. We are significantly improving the support councils offer to young people leaving care. We have announced that we are changing the law so that children living with foster carers should be able to remain in these homes until aged 21. For other care leavers, living in supported accommodation will be the right option and we are improving the support of these placements through the care leaver strategy.
40. This cross-government strategy sets out in one place the steps we are taking - from housing to health services, from the justice system to education - to support all care leavers to live independently once they have left their placement.
41. This includes:

Positive Youth Accommodation Pathway

Working closely with leading voluntary sector organisations and local authorities to develop a Positive Youth Accommodation Pathway for those who cannot stay within the family network (including care leavers). The Pathway approach requires that local authorities offer tailored accommodation options and a supportive transition into adulthood. The Pathway focuses on:

-Developing services and practices which invest in early intervention rather than just reacting to crisis. Working with young people unable to stay or return home, and planning moves into tailored accommodation with the aim of decreasing the number of young people reaching crisis point.

-Provision of seamless, easy to use services which make better use of resources through improved coordination. This can include pooled budgets and local knowledge, community assets and voluntary effort.

-Having a focus on progression to economic independence and providing sustained and supportive relationships with one or two skilled professionals.

New guidance on social housing

Produced new statutory guidance on social housing which recommends that local authorities, when adopting a residency test, consider the position of those who might be particularly disadvantaged, such as care leavers.

Homelessness Gold Standard

Implementing a new homelessness Gold Standard with investment of £1.7million that sets the bar for local housing services and supports local authorities to provide cost effective and efficient homelessness prevention services. The scheme opened for applications from 1 May 2013. It includes:

-a ten step process that provides a host of free training and other support to help authorities to stem future increases in statutory homelessness acceptances and rough sleeping by encouraging them to provide comprehensive preventative services for all those at risk of homelessness;

-partnerships by local authorities and the homelessness voluntary sector, run by a National Practitioner Support Service hosted by Winchester City Council and the National Homelessness Advice Service;

-several youth homelessness elements, including: a specific commitment not to place 16-17 year olds in bed and breakfast accommodation; partnership working with Children’s Services; and, the need to develop a specific accommodation pathway for young people.

Monitoring local authority performance

42. We are also improving the monitoring of local authority performance in this area. From this year we will be collecting information on whether care leavers aged 20 and 21 are living in suitable accommodation (we already collect this information at aged 19).
43. We have also worked with Ofsted on their revised Ofsted inspection framework, which for the first time has a specific focus and sub judgement on care leavers. Local authorities will be judged against a criteria which says:

“Young people leaving care and preparing to leave care receive support and help to assist them in making a successful transition to adulthood. Plans for them to leave care are effective and address their individual needs. They are safe and feel safe, particularly where they live. Young people acquire the necessary level of skill and emotional resilience to successfully move towards independence. They are able to successfully access education, employment, training and safe housing. They enjoy stable and enduring relationships with staff and carers who meet their needs.”

44. An important issue which will be looked at will be on 16 and 17 year olds. To now receive a “good” judgement local authorities will have to show:

“Young people aged 16 and 17 are encouraged to remain looked after until their 18th birthday where (and this will usually be the case) this is in their best interest. They can remain in placements beyond their 18th birthday or, where more appropriate, live in permanent and affordable accommodation that meets their needs and those of their children, where relevant.”

45. Local authorities will also be judged on the accommodation they provide to all care leavers. To receive a “good” judgement, local authorities now will have to show they provide accommodation that:

“is appropriate for each young person to safely develop their independence skills” and where they “are safe and feel safe.”

46. Where inspection reports show evidence of significant failure, or evidence that local authorities have been unable to improve on their own, we will act to secure improvement.

March 2014