to be really upset by this, is it the norm? Leaving 'care'?

[JjandtheBeanlovesUnicorns]

We have been staying in temp accomadation for several months now after being made homeless, a nice bnb which is 3 houses on one bit of land iyswim, anyway in our time there we have got to know the other people in the same situation, several of which are young boys, and 2 girls. On turning 16 they were placed there until 18, to old for childrens home, too young to be independant. it is just so sad, one young lad weve grown quite close to being only 22 and 24 ourselves we have a fair bit im common, he just seriously needs mothering and i was just curious, does this happen everywhere? are these 'children' just forgotten? he lives on £40 pwk and has nothing in his life, between me and the cleaner we have gotten him into a college course and hes far happier but i just cant help worrying how many more are there?

Southwark judgement

Massive piece of case law that has transgformed response to homeless teens. We have seen a real and significant number of 16 and 17yos become accommodated into foster care.

more on southwark

Glad to hear that improvements have been made Eric. I know the original scenario did happen to a good friend of mine at 16. She was suicidal, removed from mothers care then they tried to rehouse her in a 16th floor flat, which was known for people jumping off it.

I hope that these youngsters do receive the care and support they need.

Mine do anyway :) when I'm not pissing about on MN

NerfHerder your observations seem very similar to mine. We really try to help and support the care leavers and organise 3 way meetings etc but the lack of support from social services is really difficult. For example our shelter isn't for care leavers primarily yet we get more referrals for them than any other section of society. After I sent many email worryingabout the lack of support my residents were getting from social services and expressing concerns about many things (including drug use) I got the advice to evict the person and he's made his own bed so must lie in it. There just isn't the funding to support him. Yet they did use the bribe of paying for his driving lessons if he reduced his cannabis intake, why giving someone who regularly uses cannabis the means to be in charge of a vehicle is beyond me?

Can people become a voluntary mentor or something for teenagers like these? What charity or body should I contact? I can't bear to think of them on their own with no adult who gives a shit....I can't foster at this point...but later, when I don't have to work so much and my DC are bigger, I will definately look into it.

i'd be interested to know that too, Ragdoll

I think one of the biggest problems is that after being rejected by their parents, treated badly by social workers and care workers and then being moved into a hostel with drug addicts, these kids find it so difficult to trust any adults but they have to live in an adult world.

I was so frightened when I first moved into the hostel that I got really agoraphobic and I could only go shopping at 3am in the 24 hour garage when no one was around. I suffered panic attacks nearly every day.

My social worker thought that I was being deliberately difficult and decided to cut the amount of money I was living on to virtually nothing as an 'incentive'.

That's really sad, poor kids. My DH was in care and at 16 went into what was called a "semi independent unit", which was a large house made up of several bedsits and there was a social worker on site at all times. They taught them how to budget and cook and basically look after themselves. At 17 he was given his own HA flat. At 18 he then became a dad but that's by the by.

In my area we have an 'independent visitor' service, volunteers who make a friendship relationship with children in care and see them regularly over 6-12 months or longer, but it's only for up to 16yos.

No, i was placed in a homeless hostel at 15 as i was too young for a flat. I stayed there till i was nearly 17 then social services found me a flat. I am 34 now and very independant compared to some people i know. I can do anything i put my hand to. Most people i know cant change a lightbulb. It was hard sometimes but there wasnt a lot i could do about it. I just had to get on with it.

Volunteer option:

www.princes-trust.org.uk/support_us/volunteer/volunteer_roles/leaving_care_mentor.aspx

If you google leaving care mentor, there are a number of links - including some of individual council schemes.

im going to look into the mentor thing, the course me and cleaner got young lad onto is called the princes trust, its 12weeks intensive skills/residential trips/team building etc, so far he loves it

Where in the country are you Eric? I work in the Sourh East in a large city and provision is appalling for 16 plus children who are made homeless once 16, we've had 15, almost 16 year olds told to wait until their birthday and present as homeless. The Southwark judgement might as well never have happened round here!

BBc reporting this morning that a quarter of young offenders come from care homes.

Our authority just does not physically have enough staff- they're running with a 25% vacancy rate. They have huge numbers of children in care, and of children in need, CPR etc, they are facing massive cuts, even to social care budgets. Referrals were up to 40000 a year since baby p case. I wonder why they keep failing?

Where we live they have a scheme called 'supported lodgings' my mum used to take them in.

They stay with their host family until they're 21 and hand over £20 a week to contribute to food etc be that from benefits or working. The host also gets a payment of around £50.

When they leave they mainly get put into council accomodation those that do get a grant of £1000 to buy all household stuff, including carpets etc. Other ones end up in supported housing type places such as project John.

I think they're helped a fair bit considering we're a deprived area, they are encouraged to stay in education too. Still think it's very scary for theem tho, they must dread each birthday

Interesting emskana, I'm SE as well, I work for B&H council. We have supported lodgings carers here too, not many but a few. Lots more foster carers are encouraged to keep them on as SL after they turn 18 too, so it's not a case of 'happy birthday, off you go' and that's been very successful.

There's a massive shortage of places for YP to live in my work area. Supported living for about 5 YP and rest end up in B&B/pubs when they leave their FC(which happens regularly). If they get sent out of area they lose any education/support networks they have.
Massive staff shortages & huge geographic areas to cover it's difficult to give the support needed.

I ended up living in a B&B for 6 months after my foster cares moved out of the house whilst i was at school, they left my suitcase in the front garden for me.
I was 15.
There were no other options, as i was told my my SW.
So i ended up having to stay in a Skanky B&B, i had to share a bathroom, which was bad for my mental health, privacy issues etc, and put up with people trying to break into my room on a daily basis.
I had about £40pw to live on, i had no cooking facilities and the B&B was 2 miles away from my old house, so that made it a 5 mile walk to school and back everyday.
No one came to visit, except my Head of Year, who kindly gave me a food parcel and some soap etc.
Turned out my SW had a nervous breakdown and had gone on long term sick leave, i never got passed to anyone else so was just left to it.
It wasn't a nice experience, i had a breakdown and was sectioned after 6 months there, suddenly SS realised i had been completely abandoned and found me a placement.
This happens more often than you would hope or think it doesn't.

You can foster certainly a 15 yo. You'd be v popular with SS as they are v hard to place. Older ones I'm not sure how it works but I think it's more supported lodgings rather than FC

never - contact your LA to make enquiries. Fostering goes right up to 18 and some carers do prefer teens, most don't which is why those who do are like gold dust :) Fostering is better remunerated than supported lodgings as a rule but with SL you don't give them pocket money, clothing allowance, transport etc. You would have to be assessed under fostering regs either way.

IME yes they would