Corporate Parenting Flashcards
Who are care experienced young people?
Those who have been looked after by their local authority, having been deprived of parental care for any reason or otherwise on account of concerns as to their wellbeing.
Currently 15,317 young people in care in Scotland.
This is 1.2% of the 1.2 million people aged under 21
25% looked after at home living with birth parents but with social work involvement under a supervision order.
28% kinship care
35% foster care
10% residential care
Less than 2% with prospective adopters
Why are young people taken into care?
Deprived of parental care
90% of cases young people are referred to the children’s reporter on grounds of care and protection
18% of cases young people have been referred on grounds of committing a criminal offence
Care experienced young people are likely to have experienced trauma.
Placement moves and mental health for looked after children.
68% of care experienced young people experienced 3 or more placement moves
Agencies work with young people who have been moved more that 10 times.
45% or close to half of 15-17 year olds in care were assessed as having mental health disorder compared to 9% of their peers.
39% of young people living in residential care in Scotland have self harmed compared to 18% of their peers.
Frequent moved and loss or lack of meaningful relationships often have significant impact on a young persons wellbeing and in many cases mental health.
Are young people supported in school?
Care experienced young people are 8 times more likely to be excluded from school than peers. Many are excluded from multiple schools.
Additionally young people face daily distribution due to children’s hearings, looked after children reviews and other meeting scheduled during school ours.
Additional support for learning.
Under the education (Scotland) Act 2004 their is a presumption that looked after young people have additional support needs, unless otherwise assessed.
Local authorities also have a duty to asses all young people in care for a coordinated support plan which will bring together different agencies to ensure that a young person can benefit from school.
In 2015 only 6374 (51%) of looked after children with additional support needs were assessed for coordinated service plan, while 368 were deemed to need one.
Speech and communication needs?
63% of children in residential care have speech and language communication needs, compared to 10% of the general population.
Access to university
Only 5% of care experienced young people leave school for university compared to 40% of peers.
During first year this number drops to 3% due to disproportionately high drop out rates.
Young people feel carers have low expectations of them. For years the have your say form young people were given before attending a children’s hearing didn’t even list university.
Positive outcome after school %s
71% of care experienced young people are in positive outcomes 9 months after school, compared to 91% of their non care experienced peers.
Amounts those aged 19-21 who are eligible for aftercare 33% were not in employment, education or training. While the status of a further 12% was unknown.
Academic outcomes for care experience young people.
73% leave school as soon as they can at 16 or younger. Compared to 27% of peers. Many say they felt forced out perhaps into college.
Educational attainment
Only 15% or fewer than 1 in 6 looked after young people leave school with a higher compared to 62% of peers.
There is a negative coronation between placement moves and the level of achievement at school - more you move worse you do.
Educational attainment is strongly linked to health and economic outcomes, such that, the disadvantages faced by care experienced young people in receiving a distrusted education can profoundly shape their adult life.
Young people and the criminal justice system
33% of young people in prison and 31% of adult prisoners have been in care.
Criminogenic- because they are in care settings they are more likely to be criminalised for things they would not be criminalised for in a private home.
Duty of a corporate parent
Legal duties up uphold the rights and safeguard the wellbeing of every looked after child and young person and care leavers up to age 26.
Section 58 provides that every corporate parent has 6 substantive duties in respect of the care population to
• be alert
• assess needs
• promote interest
• provide opportunities
• make sure services are easy to access
• look for ways to improve
