Joe Swash - Teens in Care

[biggreentree]

Such lovely teenagers in this programme, so sad about how the care system is failing them and they get thrown out on their own the day they hit 18.

Just watched it, shocked that it’s costing 6K for that young lad to be there in that house. For the 3 kids there in that house that’s 18K a week if they’re entitled to the same sort of support levels as he is. What is that money going on? Obviously that lady is there full time, she says he was a 2:1 (which I don’t believe he would actually have that full time in practicality, most likely these adults would be shared around the other residents - I might be totally wrong here but only noticed that lady and one other guy in the house), the house itself seemed functional but hardly palatial. She said there was a psychologist they had access to round the clock (I might be wrong about some of these details, i have the memory of a goldfish 😂) and they seem to provide a sort of taxi service for them when they need collecting.
But none of that is coming to 18K a week. Where is that money going?

The lad at the beginning Aidan had an adoption breakdown.
I wonder what happened there.

£70 a week to live on ☹️ so scary

Excuse my ignorance but how exactly can a private child care company charge 6 grand a week for a child ?!

It costs about 30 k a year to keep someone in custody, ie prison or a young offenders prison.

I can’t see how a residential home can cost the tax payer that much money for one week per child!

Id imagine it’s quite difficult to get a place at one of these children’s homes, where’s there’s only say 4 or 5 kids living there with two full time staff.

Daniel 🙁.
And that poor girl who seemed to have a successful foster placement until the woman met a bloke who went on to abuse her.
Heartbreaking.

I've been watching it, it's heartbreaking. Just the thought of these children growing up without anyone who really loves them, is awful.

The amount of money provided by the council when they leave care, is drastically too little. I was confused about their accommodation.

They can't afford to rent on the money provided, so where do they live? (I haven't watched the whole programme, so maybe it's explained later on).

joe swash: what an amazingly nice and decent person. i hope he makes more programmes like that.

what struck me was "it's now illegal to put a care leavers things in a black bin bag". wow. i was speechless.

hats off to joe for such an important and interesting programme.

@Paul2023

it wont be 2 full time staff though, that is 2 staff present full time, which could be 8 staff on a rota. Each child will also have a social worker

much of childrens residential care has been privatised. Collectively these private companies made in excess of £300 million profit in 2021.
thats were the money is going

Care leavers are supposed to get those things, I received a number on a business card for a personal advisor who had either quit, or changed their phone number and not bothered to have new cards printed. Fuck all support at university either as the LA was so shit I couldn’t prove I was a care leaver.

Why can’t care homes be run by the government? Surely that would be cheaper and would stop private companies making big profits? Surely profiting out of this isn’t morality right?

It's not just about money, housing etc. It's about love and support, always having someone who has got your back, someone to turn to when life is tough ..... a local authority employee is not the same, especially as they change so frequently.
I have been a shoulder to cray on for my AC many a time.
Young adults leaving care carry with them exactly the same deficit as they have had all their lives .. someone who is always there for them and lives them unconditionally.
Some foster parents do a great job of fulfilling tehat role thank goodness.

Loves! ..and cry not cray.

Exactly, and care homes for the elderly. Absolutely should not be privatised.

It’s either 1/3 or 1/4 end up homeless. It’s so sad the government don’t do enough to help them.

I worked in a care home 15 years ago I loved my job and only left to have dd. There was at least 3 staff on at all times. The 3 young people we looked after were all very different we all cried when one boy had to leave on his 18th birthday with nowhere to go he ended up sleeping on a friends sofa for a few weeks and then went back to live with the parent he was removed from due to abuse at age 5. One boy ended up in a secure unit and the other who had sen had support until 25 but that was basically a tiny flat and a social worker who visited every so often.

I dont think things have changed that much in the last 15 years. I was touched when they said everyone should have at least 2 people who love them, who celebrates birthdays Xmas special occasions with these people?

I also remember having a session on a training course where they recommend never packing a young persons belongings in black bags buy it still used to happen where children would be moved to us with their belongings packed up in his bags like rubbish.

God that first bit of your post is so sad

@Paul2023

we have a Tory government - it does not believe in the state providing services for our most vulnerable young people

Private companies or private homes are not a new phenomena that has only occurred under Tory government. Barbara Dockar-Drysdale founded the Mulberry Bush School in 1948 which is a home and therapeutic community. Others have also existed almost as long.

Many LA homes were found to lacking and abuse was covered up in several throughout the 70s and 80s. I'll find links if anyone is interested.

I've worked in children's homes and worked with children with complex diagnosis of mental health problems. Some prolific self harmers who could not be on anything other than 2:1 24/7. At one point we had two children in London hospitals requiring 2:1 because the hospital couldn't cope without us there. We then needed extra staff to relieve staff for breaks. I've worked a 26hr shift on close observation without sleep or break due to staff shortages. Staff suffer burn out constantly. So there is little continuity of care for these YP. In one case a London borough paid for two placements such was there desperation to keep this YP out of a psych unit. But the therapeutic homes I've worked in have certainly spent the money resourcing the homes, on staff training, on therapeutic services etc,..Most homes are though chronically under staffed. It's not a job for the fient hearted, or for anyone sensitive, or unfit. It's not a great deal of fun ducking furniture and restraining boys 6ft tall! but it's rewarding.

The private company I worked for kept one yp past his 18th birthday whilst pushing the LA for funds for supportive living. However it's not appropriate to keep 18 year old in the home depending on the mix and needs of younger YP.

I doubt that woman was charging the equivalent of 6k a week though.

Of course there are some cases which will cost huge amounts of money to look after but from the information gleaned in the programme it’s hard to justify the 6k, especially when the teen in question was seen leaving the care home and it was explained that they couldn’t stop him. I don’t think for a second that the staff working there are earning anything more than they deserve (and probably a lot less) but someone is making a lot of profit.

This was an excellent programme - to be honest, I almost didn’t watch because of Joe Swash but how wrong I was. He came across brilliantly and had no idea of his background. Which gave him some sort of insight into the children who live like this.

I wish we could do more to support our vulnerable children, including LAC. I think it is great that Kate Middleton has been pushing one of her “passions” about early life childcare into the news as much as possible. Because it is all linked.

I wish there was more to support the vulnerable care leavers for those first couple of years. Not sure if it is possible to put oneself forward to provide them with a roof and food. It’s something I want to investigate (we have 2 x adopted children).

I've not watched it but will. I have a soft spot for both Joe Swash and Stacey Solomon who both come across as warm and caring. I read an interview with SS saying JS's mum was a Foster carer so he has some experience of kids in the care system.

I do think kids leaving care have it tough and it appears Leaving Care Services are, like other statutory services, woefully underfunded. Kids growing up with their parents don't get kicked out on their 18th birthday and get practical, emotional and financial support from their parents often well past this age. It's such a vulnerable time for any kid.

Yes I watched this recently. I wasn't a fan of Joe prior to this, always seemed a bit laddish, but I was really impressed by his attitude and how articulate he was.

He came across so differently and very caring.

@Hels20

Yes you can do supported living for care leavers.
I considered it myself now my adopted son is 18, but instead I find myself fostering a 12 year old !

If anyone is up, you might want to tune into the Today Programme on Radio 4 - guest edited by Gig (foster carer) Jo (teacher) and Amy (foster daughter). Josh Macalister who appeared on Joe’s programme is also speaking on it.