Loneliness of life in care miles from home

HUNDREDS of children in care in Greater Manchester are being moved out of the area they know and feel comfortable in according to a new report by The Children’s Society.

Young people surveyed by the national charity said they had been left isolated, while others were forced to switch schools after being moved.

Some are moved for their own safety because they are at risk of abuse or neglect, but in other cases their local councils struggle to find them somewhere closer to home.

A Freedom of Information request by The Children’s Society revealed that — as of September, 2014 — of the 316 children in care for whom Oldham Council have responsibility, 88 (28 per cent) were placed outside its boundaries.

Of those, 26 per cent were placed more than 20 miles away. Oldham also hosts another 149 young people from other local authority areas.

Of the 5,122 children in care in Greater Manchester, 1,931 — almost 40 per cent — had been placed outside their local authority area.

More than a fifth of the young people placed out of area had been moved to new foster homes or children’s homes more than 20 miles outside their home borough.

The Children’s Society wants to work with Greater Manchester’s 10 district councils to ensure young people are only moved out of the borough when absolutely necessary and that sufficient support is in place when it does happen.

The society wants young people to be given as much notice as possible of any move, and for them to be supported to stay in touch with family and friends where appropriate.

On Saturday, the society hosted a day of action to launch Handle With Care, its first Greater Manchester-wide campaign.

Staff, volunteers and supporters spread themselves across the region to gather signatures for a petition to be handed in to town halls to raise awareness.

The Children’s Society’s research, including focus groups with young people, also found some did not have as much contact with support staff following a move out of borough.

The charity has drawn up recommendations for the 10 Greater Manchester councils aimed at improving the support they offer for children placed out of borough.

They include giving young people at least a month’s notice of any planned move, and taking into account education and exams, ensuring young people can stay in touch with and meet family and friends where appropriate and providing a Welcome Pack containing information about their new area, including train and bus timetables and recommending safe and affordable routes for when they return home.

Worries

Rob Jackson, area director for The Children’s Society in Greater Manchester said: “We all remember the worries we faced when growing up but these are often magnified for children in care, many of whom will have had a difficult start in life.

“Losing contact with family and friends and moving home and school would be hard for any young person, but those in care also often receive help from professionals in overcoming the challenges they face.

“We are concerned that this vital network of support is not always being maintained in Greater Manchester when young people are moved outside their home borough.

“Through Handle with Care we want to work with local councils to ensure that this support is there when a move like this cannot be avoided. We want Greater Manchester councils to set the gold standard for other authorities across the UK to follow.”

email: dawnmarsden@oldham-chronicle.co.uk