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F

Forbidden punishments

When you are being looked after and do something wrong in the home where you are living, then you can expect your carer to tell you off or use other forms of discipline. However, there are certain punishments that cannot be used by your foster carer or other people who are caring for you in any Children’s Home, or other type of home that we use. They also cannot be used by any member of Plymouth City Council staff. These punishments are seen as abuse and harmful to you.

We would want to stop any carer or member of staff from punishing you in any of the following ways:

• you cannot be smacked, hit or physically hurt.
• you cannot be given a close body search for any reason by your carer or a member of staff.
• you cannot be stopped from being visited or visiting members of your family, or from telephoning them or writing to them as a form of punishment. If the court has said you must not have contact with any individual members of your family then this is different.
• your pocket money cannot be stopped or reduced unless it is to pay for damage you have done or because you have stolen money and it has to be paid back. If you do have to pay for damage you have done, then normally you would be left with a portion of your pocket money.
• you cannot be locked in your room or locked in the house. If you are placed in secure accommodation this is different.
• you cannot be made to wear nightclothes during the day, or forced to wear other clothes that are not suitable for the time of day or night, or are not suitable for the activity you are doing.
• you cannot be given drugs to make you quiet unless they are medically prescribed by a doctor.
• you cannot be stopped from eating or drinking at meal times or stopped from getting something to eat or drink at times, which would be seen to be normal to all children.
• you cannot be stopped from receiving medical or dental treatment when you need it, or stopped from taking medicines that a doctor has given you.
• you cannot be punished by being forced to stay awake when it is past your bedtime and you should be sleeping. Also you should not be punished by being woken up throughout the night.

If any of these punishments are happening, or have happened to you, or you are unhappy with the way you are being treated, you must tell your social worker. They will decide what needs to be done to protect you and if necessary she or he will use the Child Protection procedures to investigate.

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Foster carers

When you are looked after you might live with a foster carer. Foster carers are ordinary people who want to look after children, and are people who we have agreed are suitable. If you live with a foster carer you will live with them in their own home.

When people become foster carers for Plymouth City Council:

• they sign an Agreement with us that says how they must look after children.
• they are given money by Plymouth City Council to pay for the cost of your food, clothes, your pocket money and a few other items.
• they should buy you birthday and Christmas presents and also give you a present if your culture/religion has celebrations which give gifts to children at this time.

Foster carers may:

• be married or have a partner and some may be single. This does not matter as long as they are able to care for you properly and treat you as part of their family.
• have their own children or may have no children.
• look after more than one child for us. So when you live with a foster carer you will probably be sharing your new home with other children. Your social worker will talk to you about this. If it is in your best interest to live with a foster carer without other children living there, then this must also be talked about.

When you live with foster carers:

• you will often have your own bedroom or you may share with another child.
• you should have your own bed.
• you must be allowed to have your own space to keep your clothes and your private belongings.

If discussions are being held about you going to live with a foster carer then plans should be made for you to visit and talk to the foster carer first. Sometimes this might not be possible. For example, if you have to be looked after by Plymouth City Council very quickly then there won’t be time for you to visit. However, when there is time, you should visit first and have a chance to talk to your social worker about your feelings.

When we are finding or have found a foster carer for you to live with:

• they must try and find you someone who can give you the care you need and who belongs to the same race and culture as you and can share your language and religious background.
• sometimes it might be hard to find a foster carer who can meet all your needs but we must try very hard.
• you may have to live with a foster carer from a different culture from yours, but they must make sure that you do things that are part of your culture and/or religion.
• this includes helping you make friends with other children and families who live near your foster home who share and understand your culture.
• it also means taking care of you in the same way as other children from your culture are cared for. For example, black children need a certain type of skin and hair care and this must be provided by foster carers.
• the foster carers should also make sure that some of the meals you eat are the same type that you are used to eating in your family home, and that cultural magazines, videos, etc, which you may be familiar with in your family home are provided for you in your new home. This type of care should also be provided by carers in Children’s Homes.

When it is agreed which foster carer you will live with, then you and your social worker should talk with the foster carer about how you will be cared for and what is expected from you so that you can all agree on what should happen.

If you have a disability:

• any equipment or facilities that you require should be noted in your Care Plan and these should be provided in your new home.
• any special health needs, your new carer must be told about them and must make sure that these needs are catered for.

All foster carers should do their best to provide a good home life for you and make sure you are well cared for. If you are unhappy with any part of the care you are being given you should try talking to your foster carer first. If this is difficult, you should talk to your social worker and explain what the problem is. If the problem is not solved and you are still unhappy you should contact the our Complaints Officer or by using your Contact Card. You could also contact your reviewing officer.

A relative or a member of your family may be able to become your foster carer, or as otherwise termed ‘kinship carer’, which you can talk to your social worker and Plymouth City Councill about.

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Friends

Friends are important in everyone’s life. Friends are people who you have got to know and like and with whom you can share happy times and help each other through sad times.

Your friends may be other children and young people you met at school, met at a youth club or they may be the children of your parents’ friends. You may also have made friends with children and young people who live in the street or area where your parents or carers live.

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When you start to be looked after

We feel it is important that you keep in touch with the friends you have. Your friends might live near your new home or you might still see them at school but others might live further away and it might be harder for you to meet.

If you do want to keep in contact with them you should tell your social worker to write down your friend(s) names in your care plan. You, your social worker and your carer can then talk about how or when you could contact them, or if possible have them visit you.

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During the time you are looked after

• you will probably also make new friends.
• your carer should encourage you to do this, as well as keeping old ones.
• there might be times though when your carer is not happy with some of your friends’ behaviour. This could be if your carer thinks your friends are encouraging you to do things that could get you into trouble or break the law, like shoplifting, or do things that might be harmful to you, like taking drugs.

Your carer should talk to you if they have any concerns and if they are still worried, they should let your social worker know so that you can all talk about it together.

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Sleepovers with friends

You are able to stay overnight with your friends with the permission of your foster carer. They will want to contact your friends parents to confirm all the arrangements. We would also want to check this out with your parents if possible. The sleepovers will be agreed in your care plan.

If you feel you are not being allowed reasonable contact with your friends, you should let your carer know or talk to your social worker.  If you are still unhappy you should contact our Complaints Officer.

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Further education or university

Many young people aged 16 and over decide they want to either stay on at school or go to college or university full or part-time. We can help you. Your social worker and carer should talk to you about any plans you might have for studying or training for a future job, or studying because you are interested in certain subjects and want to learn more before deciding what you want to do.  

The ‘Children (Leaving Care) Act’ 2000 aims to:

• provide greater access to funding for higher education, for example for accommodation and fees.
• encourage and support children in care to make the most of their education and achieve as high as possible, this is done by introducing ‘pathway plans’, which help to look at your future - look at the ‘after care’ section for more details on all of the above.

The service Connexions can also help with further education.  It is a service provided to help children move into an adult and working life, for all 13-19 year olds.

Connexions aims to:

• help you choose subjects suitable for you at school, college or university, for GCSE’s, A levels, degrees or vocational subjects.
• help you to find out about a career you are interested in.
• help you to brush up on interview skills and your confidence.

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Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)

All young people who are looked after are entitled to this allowance when they go into further education. It’s available for part time and full time courses and can be up to £30 a week. It is not for educational costs, it is an allowance for you.

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