We need greater focus on quality as well as quantity of children’s care home places
3 min read
As a schoolteacher in Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, back at the start of my career, I was determined to set high standards in my classroom.
A regular issue was homework and I had been critical of one girl for her failure to complete the maths exercises I had set. She broke down in tears and explained later that there were no tables to work on and no quiet spaces in the children’s home where she was living. I suddenly understood more clearly the challenge she and others faced and, since then, I have strongly believed that we must properly resource and care for those children who are in the care of the state. They deserve so much better.
In the UK, a child goes into care every 15 minutes. From that moment, their life is turned upside down. They’ve often already faced huge challenges in their young lives and now they are in a system that all too often lacks the warmth, care and love they desperately need.
A new Action for Children report, A Place to Call Home, found that more than nine in 10 (91 per cent) care-experienced adults in the UK felt lonely and isolated during their time as a child in care – and nearly one in five (18 per cent) felt like this all the time. One of these adults is Alice: “Alice grew up on the Isle of Wight and was taken into care at the age of 12 after her parents’ relationship broke down and they struggled to care for her. She was in and out of the care system, often returning home and later ending up back in care again. During her time in care, Alice was often placed in temporary placements, and was split up from her younger brother, George.
A child goes into care every 15 minutes
“She said, ‘When I was in care I had a constant feeling of loneliness. Nothing felt safe, let alone loving. It was just survival. I didn’t feel listened to or like I had an adult I could trust.’”
The importance of feeling safe, loved and listened to – as well as having an adult they could trust – were key themes highlighted in the interviews undertaken as part of this research. When asked, care-experienced young people and staff who support children in care said that having a good home with a ‘family feel’ – and skilled carers who provide love and warmth and encourage the cultivation of relationships and passions – enabled children to have good experiences and outcomes.
Since the publication of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care in 2022, there has been much discussion about the shortage of places in children’s homes and foster homes. But there has been very little focus on the quality of homes and the impact this has on the children and young people who live in them.
Children in care have poorer outcomes throughout life than the general population. They face multiple barriers to opportunity, which must be broken down. Having a quality and supportive home that meets their needs gives a care-experienced child the firm foundations they need to build a life on. A life where they can thrive and grab hold of the opportunities that we too often take for granted.
Politicians from across the political spectrum have a responsibility to ensure that in all our discussions and debates about the crisis in children’s social care, we don’t forget the children entering care every single day. Children who don’t just need a placement – children who need a place to call home.
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