Leaving Care

The problem 

Tony is 17. She will be 18 in a month. She has a Children’s Hearing in two weeks and has been told that at that hearing her CSO (compulsory supervision order) will be cancelled and she will leave care. She is very worried because she has been told she can’t stay on in her foster care placement, although she has been there for 7 years. She has not been told why she can’t stay and her social worker has said that if something can’t be worked out between the council and her foster carers, Tony will have to go to the Council offices and apply as homeless. She is really worried about doing that and about having to live in a B&B or homeless hostel. She is worried about how she will be able to start college if she doesn’t know where she will be staying after her Hearing. 

How getting a lawyer can help 

Tony’s foster mum gets in touch with Clan Childlaw and Tony gets her own lawyer.

Her lawyer contacts the Council and tells them that Tony is entitled to more help than they have given her and says that if she cannot stay on with her foster carers they must help get somewhere to stay near them, and near college with support available to help her. They tell the Council that if this doesn’t happen and if Tony is sent to a homeless hostel then they will appeal the decision.

They go with Tony to her Children’s Hearing and tell the Panel what is happening. At the Children’s Hearing Tony’s social worker says that the Council have arranged for Tony to have a place in supported accommodation near where she will be going to college, for as long as she needs it. The Panel make a statement saying Tony should be getting all the support she needs to move on from care, including good housing and support from the Council.  Tony’s lawyer says she can contact her for more help if the Council say she has to move on before she is ready. 

If you have a problem like this contact us for free to talk confidentially about how we can help