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AIBU?

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Original poster

children in care

85 replies

RomanyQueen1 · 20/05/2019 22:57

Wtf are there unregulated homes for 16- 17 year olds, it's disgusting in this day and age.
They are at risk, vulnerable and dumped.
i had no idea and can't get over it. Why is this allowed?

OP posts:
HennyPennyHorror · 20/05/2019 23:00

What do you mean "unregulated homes"?

I know that kids of this age are often dumped in hostels and houses of multiple occupation. Is that what you mean?

Teens are hard to place. Not many can settle in foster places...they're often troubled and there aren't enough qualified people willing to take them sadly.

Original poster
RomanyQueen1 · 20/05/2019 23:04

On Newsnight, it's disgusting, they are just dumped in unregulated homes. No ofsted no registration, gangs, drugs and sexual exploitation.

OP posts:
HennyPennyHorror · 20/05/2019 23:05

By homes do you mean actual children's homes? Or people's houses?

MenuPlant · 20/05/2019 23:12

I saw this in the news today agree its totally appalling

Will find link

MenuPlant · 20/05/2019 23:13

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48300157

PCohle · 20/05/2019 23:14

"Newsnight has learned that - according to figures from the Department for Education - around 5,000 looked after children in England are living in so-called 16+ supported or semi-supported accommodation - up from 2,900 10 years ago.

This type of accommodation is not inspected or registered by Ofsted, even though residents are in the care of the state.

But because they are deemed to be receiving support, rather than care, the accommodation is not subject to the same checks and inspections as registered children's homes."

I was shocked too OP.

KissUntilTheyDieOfRabies · 20/05/2019 23:14

There was a halfway house for older kids near a place I used to live. It had CCTV and there was occasional trouble. I felt awful for the kids who ended up in that situation.

MenuPlant · 20/05/2019 23:15

Sort of like halfway buses henny I guess with very little support

Left to fend for themselves

All the pimps drug dealers criminals etc know which houses they are

StopSpinning · 20/05/2019 23:17

Absolutely disgraceful

Processedpea · 20/05/2019 23:17

No investment in social care just cut after cut. Thus makes it so easy for children to just disappear it's tragic and will get worse. Yet we all go on marches for the environment and bleat being all so clever on Twitter about bleeding brexit and milkshakes.

EskiVodkaCranberry · 20/05/2019 23:17

There is huge demand for care placements and zero options. It's a disgrace. Nobody is choosing these places, it's a last resort.

OrchidInTheSun · 20/05/2019 23:17

They are magnets for pimps and pushers

Moominmammaatsea · 20/05/2019 23:26

@RomanyQueen1, in answer to your original question, probably because there are no other options for these young people. Their birth parents are unable to keep them safe and there are simply not enough well-trained and well-supported foster carers who are willing or able to take on such challenging young people.

And, lest you think I’m being facetious, I was a foster carer for seven years and so I did take on the challenge of young people from dysfunctional birth families.

Nothing to stop anyone here up in arms about the poor quality state of care on offer to looked after children or teens ringing their local children’s social care department tomorrow to inquire about becoming a foster carer.

Bisset · 20/05/2019 23:28

Nothing to stop anyone here up in arms about the poor quality state of care on offer to looked after children or teens ringing their local children’s social care department tomorrow to inquire about becoming a foster carer.

This.

Tingface · 20/05/2019 23:30

Nothing to stop anyone here up in arms about the poor quality state of care on offer to looked after children or teens ringing their local children’s social care department tomorrow to inquire about becoming a foster carer.

This with knobs on.

Processedpea · 20/05/2019 23:35

I know someone going through this and the process is so long and badly managed it puts people off. Major investment in needed in all areas of children's social care but that's bloody obvious isn't it.

elsabadogigante · 20/05/2019 23:36

Oh, they're well dumped around here, council block in deprived district. Regularly dumped into the 'homeless' flats in this block, usually until they're picked up the prison system. I'm surprised you're shocked it's 'allowed'. Where the hell else are they supposed to go? We've got two in the next stair. They've been placed here from London, which is about 300 miles away. It probably won't be for long, they've already been nicked four times in the fortnight they've been here.

elsabadogigante · 20/05/2019 23:39

As for support, you're having a laugh. Our council's budget has been slashed to the bone.

CheshireChat · 20/05/2019 23:53

The whole system seems to be falling apart, I can't imagine a lot of people will be lining up to become foster parents to challenging teens as there's loads of complications and not a lot of support (at least in my area). The only FP I know was complaining he had virtually no support and was struggling to cover the damages one of his FC caused.

Also, in my area they didn't even have any of the support houses so they sent the poor kids miles away at an exorbitant cost. It would've been far cheaper to purpose build a couple of them (as they are doing now) and they might've been able to afford some actual support for them.

However, the SS around here have just been declared inadequate by OFSTED so obviously there's issues in all areas.

Daffodils07 · 21/05/2019 00:05

I was in care and as soon as I turned 16 I had to go into supporting lodgings, in the end I left at 17.
My social worker of her own back came round to where I was staying with two massive black bags of stuff for me (toiletries,stuff to make my new room homely) and I will always remember her for how kind she was to me when at the time I had to grow up so quickly through no fault of my own.
I would love to foster but unfortunately you need a spare room which I do not have!

alwaystimeforcakeandtea · 21/05/2019 00:06

Yes it’s outrageous. What’s your suggested solution?

MilletSentToForceIt · 21/05/2019 00:09

There was a programme on R4 about this a few months ago, where a fragile 16 year old boy was given a tent, a food parcel and a mobile phone with £10 credit, and his social worker drove him to a remote camp site, and left him there. He spent months there, with no support apart from families on holiday who feeling sorry for him asked him to share meals. There was a massive storm and he was frightened and his tent was damaged. He was assaulted, he couldn’t get any finance, so couldn’t get to college.

THe council concerned (I can’t remember remember who it was) was taken to court and were, I think, fined. Hi sorry social work team just said they had no choice.

I was so horrified, and so upset, I couldn’t even explain to my DH why I was sobbing.

BackforGood · 21/05/2019 00:18

Because the most vulnerable in society are not looked after by society.
The cuts continue and continue and they don't have a voice to let people know. The more powerful voices look the other way.

Our local authority has made cut backs after cutbacks after cutbacks. I think the latest figure I heard was £600million since 2010.
The LA has cut over 12 000 jobs in that time.
Has it been headline news (you know, like when a car plant cuts 1500 jobs) ? No.
Respite care has gone. All the support services for vulnerable children had been pared back to the absolute bone.

But you know the only time it makes the media - social media, newspapers, radio or TV ? It's when the green bins aren't collected.

The overwhelming majority of people have very, vey little idea how the most vulnerable are been abandoned, and don't make an effort to find out, because t doesn't affect them.

Sad and Angry

NameChangedNoImagination · 21/05/2019 00:20

Millet oh my goodness Sad