For most of us, our home is where we feel comfortable and where we rest our heads after a long day. But for vulnerable children in care it is so much more than that: it can be a refuge and a safe space where they can feel protected.
Recent investigations have shown that thousands of homeless teenagers have been advised against turning to care homes for accommodation and told to seek cheaper hostels instead.
Reports suggest that social workers have advised vulnerable children in this way, despite hostels lacking the necessary care and support stipulated under section 20 of the Children Act 1989.
These hostels, populated primarily by adults, may offer some financial relief for councils, but they are not the best option for vulnerable young people.
Most children in this situation were fleeing from challenging home environments, so were excited by the idea of an ‘independent living situation.' However, they were offered little consistency or familiarity in an already frightening situation. They also reported being given no support or guidance and felt that this really ‘took a toll on them’ and that they had to ‘grow up rapidly.'
Allowing vulnerable children to grow up in hostels puts them at significant long-term risk, particularly becoming more susceptible to homelessness as an adult. The rising homelessness crisis makes it imperative to address this problem, especially considering that 25% of the homeless population are care leavers. Due to their lack of a traditional and secure family unit, care leavers are often made homeless as they cannot rely on family to offer financial support, and therefore find themselves in potentially dangerous living conditions.
This dilemma can signal the start of a difficult life for care leavers, as heartbreaking statistics reveal that they are up to five times more likely than the general population to die by suicide. They are also far less likely to pursue further education, with only 13% of care leavers progressing to higher education compared to 43% of all other pupils. Additionally, 39% of care leavers are not in education or employment, compared with 13% of all young people. Prioritising external support, as offered by care homes, is vital if we are serious about ensuring that vulnerable young people in care get the support that they so desperately need, and the government needs to be leading in this area.
At Serenity Welfare, the child-focused organisation I founded, we launched a report which revealed utilising early intervention strategies could save the government up to £7 billion a decade, eliminating the need to deprive young people of the care they deserve. Using alternative child support methods, such as dramatherapy and music therapy, combined with early intervention strategies such as regular home visits, can significantly reduce the financial burden on local authorities with high numbers of children in care. With the annual cost for a child in care reaching £58,664, the impact could lead to substantial budget reallocation for better child support, and better outcomes for individual children in care who deserve the opportunity to fulfil their full potential.
However, insufficient funds and misleading advice is just the tip of the iceberg. The consequences of negative practices will have profound and lasting effects on the lives of vulnerable children, and by extension, all of society.
Neglecting the essential support these young individuals desperately need creates instability and removes them from a traditional support network which can stunt their personal growth. Tackling this problem will not only improve the lives of vulnerable care leavers but pave the way for a more productive future for our communities and an entire generation of vulnerable young people.
Policymakers, and the wider care sector, need to make this issue an appropriate priority and ensure that social workers and councils make decisions based on the best interests of the individual child.
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