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?

Yes absolutely.

thought you would be in this one at some point eric

OTTMummA, that's such a sad story, so pleased they got you sorted in the end but that you ended up having a breakdown before anyone noticed. I think similar issues are afoot with the young lad who was on DD's school roof.
If I didn't have so many DC's myself at home I would want to help. Maybe when some have grown up and moved on my time will come for that.

Of course :) I'm on here giving advice instead of working... oh, wait...

hahahahahahahahahaha

OP - if you want to PM me I will send you a VOICE advocacy pack.

Yes, older teenagers are hard to place.

My mum once had a lad stay with her for a while who was going into the army as a 'way out'. His mum had kicked him out yet again and he ended up with her for a few weeks till he went off

One day he phoned her at work to ask how to use the washing machine and mentioned all the apples in the fruitbowl were mouldy..... turned out he didn't know what a peach was.

I wasn't taught any skills to take care of myself before I left. Some of it is quite funny to look back on now. I used to try and wash the dishes by running them under the tap. I exploded a toaster by putting waffles in it. I didn't know how to cook pasta! I didn't eat it until I was 23. Oh I exploded an egg once by putting that in the microwave. I've cooked burgers and sausages in the microwave. One place I stayed had very bad splinters in the bare floorboards so I made a path to essential areas made of old carpets I found in skips. I had no knives or forks at one point so I ate my dinner with a wooden spoon. I once ate a chocolate bar I found in the street. One of my favourite things (which my husband thinks I'm crazy for because I will still occasionally eat this) was ketchup on toast. It's cheap! For a treat, I'd also have hundreds and thousands on toast.

Ah that has made me chuckle! I'm quite an accomplished cook now if you can believe it!

at michelle. i once cooked a chicken from frozen for sunday dinner in the hostel. no one was ill and it wasnt till months later i found out you had to defrost the chicken. We used to live on butterscotch angle delight, i hate it now

Ha ha lucky! It's an easy mistake to make though. If no one tells you otherwise, how would you know?

I'm a real snob now because of my past. I won't buy supermarket brands of anything. The thought of having cupboards full of economy beans makes me feel ill. I remember once all I had to eat for a couple of days was bowls of beans. I couldn't even afford bread. I cried into the bowl at one point. God, it's a wonder I didn't gas myself to death on the smell!

I used to get a £32 hardship allowance and had to pay £5 gas and £5 electric. How the hell i lived on £22 a week and paid busfare to college i will never know. I still managed to get out on the town evey friday though

Well he is home from his trip seems to have enjoyed it, unfortunatly for him we are being housed soon, felt awful telling him :(

Well he is home from his trip seems to have enjoyed it, unfortunatly for him we are being housed soon, felt awful telling him :(