Children in care of the local authority

Children can be looked after by agreement with parents or by order of a court. Most children in care are safe from harm and do well, however for some there are particular risks.

A child is ‘looked after’ (in care) if they are in the care of the local authority for more than 24 hours. Children can be in care by agreement with parents or by order of a court. Most children in care are safe from harm and do well, with strong plans to ensure that their needs are met. For some there are particular risks. Children in care have many different experiences prior to becoming looked after, and this increases their vulnerability (e.g. adverse parenting, abuse, poor emotional well-being etc).

Research shows that many of these risks are reduced when there is stability in their placements with good professional support from a range of agencies.

Definition of being looked after

“Under the Children Act 1989, a child is legally defined as ‘looked after’ by a local authority if he or she:

gets accommodation from the local authority for a continuous period of more than 24 hours
is subject to a care order (to put the child into the care of the local authority)
is subject to a placement order (to put the child up for adoption).”

HM Government

Children who are looked after may be living:

with foster parents;
at home with their parents under the supervision of Children’s Social Care;
in a residential children’s home;
with extended family members (known as kinship placements);
with friends of the the family or other ‘connected persons’ (such as a teacher, youth worker, etc.); or
other residential settings like residential schools or secure units.

Therefore, even though the child is looked after, they may not be living in what may be traditionally seen as a “care” environment.

Statistics

Over 400,000 children in England were identified as being children in need in 2022.
Nearly 51,000 children in England were on child protection plans in 2022 .
Approximately 81,000 children are in care in England.
Children in care are 4 times more likely than their peers to have a mental health difficulty due to their .experiences both before and during care.  Some research suggests that around 45% of looked-after children have a diagnosable mental health disorder, and up to 70%-80% have recognisable mental health concerns.
A small proportion of children in care experience further abuse and neglect whilst in care.

Know the vulnerabilities

Children who are looked after are:

at greater risk of being bullied or abused by peers;
more likely to be the target of exploitation;
significantly more likely to run away from home;
at greater risk of misusing substances due to early life experiences;
more likely to suffer social, emotional and mental health difficulties due to trauma;
at a higher risk of having some form of developmental delay;
potentially going to have issues with their identity;
more likely to have special educational needs or disabilities.

Know the risks

Children who are looked after often face a number of additional risks:

risk of offending behaviour;
risks associated with separation and loss;
risk of institutional abuse;
risks regarding lack of suitable placement;
risk associated with instability in placement / lack of consistent carer;
risks in transition to adulthood;
risk of educational failure and exclusion;
previous experience of abuse can increase the risk of being abused in the future.

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What you can do

Education settings play a key role in protecting children in care. Although settings should have a designated teacher/lead for looked after children, it is everyone’s responsibility to make sure that children who are looked after are safeguarded.

Be aware of signs of abuse and neglect.
Be aware of vulnerabilities of children in care.
Focus on the individual needs of the child.
Know what the specific plans are for any looked after child that you are responsible for.
Listen to the child’s ‘voice’ (verbal, behavioural or otherwise) and act upon it. Remember, just because they are in care doesn’t mean they can’t still be abused.
Work collaboratively with other agencies.
Report any concerns to the designed safeguarding lead and follow your safeguarding procedures.

Take action and keep taking action until you know they’re safe.

Resources

Designated teacher for looked-after and previously looked-after children

Statutory guidance for local-authority-maintained schools carrying out duties for looked-after and previously looked-after children.

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Join safeguarding network for more information on how to identify children who are looked after and support them in schools.

Training resources for DSLs to use in team meetings;
Reference documents for additional information;
Handout for staff summarising children in care;
Quiz to test staff understanding.

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