Northumberland Looked After
Children's Services
As part of Northumberland County
Council's Children's Services, the Looked-After Children's Service
is responsible for providing a variety of support and
placement services to children, young people and their
families.
A child or young person is ‘looked after’ if they are in the
care of the Local Authority. This can be either under a
legal order or voluntary agreement with parents.
Children may live with foster carers, in a residential
home, with approved family and friends foster carers or remain at
home with parents under a care order, depending on their
circumstances.
The Local Authority shares parental responsibility with parents
where there is a legal order. Where it is a voluntary agreement,
the parents retain full responsibility for their child.
Looked After Children's Services include:
Adoption (with the Family Placement Service)
We need more singles and couple to adopt waiting children.
The Family Placement Service recruit and
support people to adopt children. A key part of
this service is post adoption support for young people, birth
and adoptive families.
You can find out more on our Adoption Website.
Children's Residential Care Homes
Northumberland has residential care
homes for looked after children and young people from across the
UK. The provision is authorised through your local
Children's Services office and includes:
- Kyloe House children's secure home
- Thornbrae children's home
- Netherton Campus - Kestrel House and
Kingfisher House
You can find out more on our Northumberland Children's Homes page.
Children’s Support
This is a service that is authorised through
your local Children's Services office. It is a service for
both looked after children, and those who are receiving support
through their local Children's Services office. It helps
children and young people to stay within their own family, by
preventing a family breakdown or by reuniting children separated
from home by a temporary crisis.
Visit our Safeguarding pages to find your local
Social Care office details.
Education Support for Looked-After Children (ESLAC)
This is a service purely for children who are looked after by
their local council. ESLAC is part of the Virtual
School and is a Children’s Services team which
promotes and supports the education of looked after children.
ESLAC's contribution to achieving that aim is significant and
includes:
- ensuring that looked after children are prioritised and
fast tracked where ever possible through services within the
County Council. for example school admissions;
- establishing and maintaining a professional network at both
local and strategic level to promote the education of looked after
children;
- advising and supporting schools and social care staff in
matters relating to the education of looked after children;
- remaining up to date with the latest government advice and good
practice.
Education support we offer looked after children and young
people:
- Classroom support in school
- Additional teacher time in school
- Teacher time after school to help you catch up
- Extra help after school with some GCSE revision
- Loan of educational software
- Ensure that all KS4 pupils have access to a computer to support
homework and coursework
- Ensure that Yr 11 students have the support of a learning
mentor from outside of the school
- Ensure that KS4 students have the appropriate GCSE revision
guides
- Negotiate with schools regarding alternative provision
- Support regarding integration programmes
- Support Social Workers when a change of school is required
- Training and awareness raising for other professionals who may
work with looked after children
Referrals can be made direct to this service from carers, social
workers, parents and teachers. More details are on their
webpages ESLAC.
Family Support
This is a service that is authorised through your
local Children's Services office. It helps children and young
people on various levels:
- Helping children stay within their own family
- Support for children returning home after being in care
- Short Breaks support for disabled children and their
families
If you are looking to find out more or work as a Family Support
Carer, you can find visit the
Family Support Services website.
Fostering (Foster Care with the Family Placement Service)
The Family Placement Service provide
short and long term foster care for Northumberland looked after
children and young people. The service also assesses and
supports family and friend care for children and young people.
The service is recruiting new foster carers
for all different types of full and part time fostering
roles.
You can find out more about foster care
and the wide range of support you receive as a Northumberland
Foster Carer on our Fostering Website
Participation for Looked-After Children
This service is purely for looked after
children and young people:
- Support for looked after children to
have their voices heard and be involved in influencing services
- Ensure looked after children have access to advocacy and
complaints services
- Access to key groups, including the Northumberland Children in
Care Council - Voices making Choices
More detailed information on the services and
support we offer to looked after children can be found at http://www.voicesmakingchoices.org.uk/
- a website for looked after children, young people and care
leavers in Northumberland.
For all enquiries about advocacy, support,
groups or participation related activities, contact the
Participation Officers
- Robin on 07785 573426 or Anya on 07768
658 436 or email voicesmakingchoices@northumberland.gov.uk
Sixteen Plus (Previously known as the Leaving Care Team)
This service is offered to looked after young people
who are moving into their own home and looking to
live independently. We help people develop the skills to
move towards independence from the age of 15 years and 9 months old
and upwards.
Pathway Plans
The role of the 16+ worker is to
support the young person to prepare for the transition to adulthood
and independent living when the assessment identifies that the
young person is ready. They will support young people to identify
and maintain suitable and safe accommodation via social housing,
semi independent housing projects and private landlords if this is
deemed suitable.
Education, employment and training
needs of the young person will be identified within the Needs
Assessment and Pathway Plan Part 2. Once identified the young
person will be supported by their 16+ and Connexions worker to
realise their potential and achieve their aspirations.
The 16 + team works closely with
the Future Routes group who meet once every 6 weeks. In addition
there is the opportunity to become involved with other groups via
the participation officers such as the Children in Care Council and
creative writing group.
Further information:
Definitions
SECTION 24
LEAVING CARE STATUS
Eligible Child
A 16 or 17 year old who is still in
care and who has been in care for at least 13 weeks since the age
of 14.
Relevant Child
A 16 and 17 year old who, after 01
October 2001, has left care but was in care on or after their 16th
birthday and had been in care for at least 13 weeks since the age
of 14. This includes young people who happened to be in the youth
justice system or hospitalised on their 16th birthday
Former Relevant
Child
An 18-21 year old who was an
eligible or relevant child. This includes young people over the age
of 21 who are in education or training for as long as agreed in
their pathway plan.
Qualifying
Child
A young person aged between 18 and
21 who has left care but was in care on or after their 16th
birthday and had spent less than 13 weeks in care since the age of
14 or had left care before 01 October 2001. This includes young
people under the age of 24 who are in education or training.
