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R

Race, culture and language

We believe that all children and young people should be able to feel proud of their race and culture. When they are looked after by us, staff and foster carers should help you keep and learn more about your family culture. This means learning about the way of life of your family back through your grandparents and before.

Culture often refers to the history, music and food that people enjoy in different countries. When people settle in another country, for whatever reason, they like their family to continue to enjoy and celebrate their history. This can also apply to the way people dress or their religious beliefs and festivals. The language that people use at home is also part of a person’s culture.

Your family might for example be part of an African, African Caribbean, Arabic, Iranian, Irish, Chinese, Asian, Eastern European or English culture. There are many more that are not mentioned here and they are all as important. Sometimes a family is a mixture of different cultures. It is important that whatever your background that you are able to enjoy the things you are familiar with or are part of your family background.

It can be difficult in an area such as Plymouth to provide young people with experiences of different cultures or to find foster carers who share and understand your race and culture. We will always try to find someone who can meet your care needs and if this is not possible we will make sure that you have a chance to do things which you enjoy and are part of your culture. This could be the music you listen to, food you eat or books that you read.

This includes helping you make friends with other children and their families who share and understand your cultural or religious background.

Your social worker and foster carer should talk to you about what you would like to do to keep up with your culture. This might include arranging for someone who is able to learn your family language or talk to you about your family’s culture.

Although it is important that you learn about and understand your family culture it is also important to learn something about other people’s cultures. The more we can get to know and understand each other’s cultures the more we can value the way other people live.

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Racism

Racism is the word used when a person is treated less favourably than another person in the same situation because of their race, colour, nationality or ethnic/cultural background. For example, if Asian and African/Caribbean people are treated unfairly and receive different treatment than white people, this is racism. Racism does happen and it is wrong.

Racism could mean Asians or African/Caribbean, or people from other particular black/ethnic groups being treated unfairly when applying for jobs, housing, etc. If, for example, a white European person is given a job but an African/Caribbean person was turned down for the same job when they had more qualifications and more experience than the white person, and when there were no other differences in ability between the two people, then this is likely to be a decision based on racism. This type of action is also known as discrimination.

The word racist is sometimes used to describe racism, or the word racist is used to describe the person who is treating someone else badly because they are of a different race.

We are against any form of racism and discrimination! We believe in fair and equal treatment of all people - adults, children and young - regardless of their race or ethnic/cultural background. The Council also believes that no one should have to deal with racial harassment. Racial harassment is when a person constantly receives physical or other forms of abuse because of their race, colour, nationality or ethnic background. This includes being attacked or threatened, or having written or spoken jokes made against them, or being called racist names.

If you feel you are being treated unfairly or differently because of your colour, language, religion or culture, or if people are making comments to you which you feel are racist you should tell someone like your social worker or foster carer who can help you. However, if it is difficult for you to talk to your social worker or foster carer, or if you have tried talking to them and nothing has changed, you should either phone the Department’s Complaints Officer or contact one of the organisations listed on the Contact page of this section, and ask them for help. You can also contact your reviewing officer and talk to them and they will help you.

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Religion

If you belong to a religion, your beliefs must be respected by everybody. Your foster carer should encourage you to practice your religion and help you keep it. They should not try to get you to change your religion. Also, if you do not have a religion, your carers should not force you to have one or attend any religious services they may attend.

If you practice a religion which has rules which say what food you should eat or not eat, or say that you should wear certain types of clothes, then this should be in your Care Plan, and your foster carer should help you follow the traditions. Your carer should also help you contact any local group who has the same religion as you so that you can go to their places of worship.

If you are finding it difficult to practice your religion you should talk to your social worker about it.

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Remanded/detained

We not only look after young people who are on a Care Order or who are accommodated by arrangement with their parents (or with themselves if over 16 years) but also look after young people who are remanded or detained in Plymouth City Council accommodation. This section lets you know about young people who we looked after in this situation.

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Being detained

Detained means:

• being kept somewhere and in criminal proceedings it can refer to people being detained (kept) in say, police stations, before or after being charged, or detained elsewhere after being charged.
• a young person aged 10-17 years can be detained in Plymouth City Council accommodation when arrested and charged by police. If this has happened, then we will look after you until your first appearance in court when the court will decide whether there should be a trial, and if so, whether you should be granted bail until the hearing.

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Being remanded

Remanded means:

• you have made your first appearance in court about the charges made against you and the court has decided that there must be a future trial.
• after this court hearing, and during the period before the trial, you would be referred to as being on remand.
• the court can decide that while you are on remand you can be given bail, which means you can return home while waiting for your trial. Or, if you are under 17 years, the court can decide that you should be remanded into Plymouth City Council accommodation. This means that we would look after you and be responsible for your care.

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Getting bail

Everyone, including young people who are detained or remanded, should be considered for bail unless they are charged with murder, manslaughter or rape and have previous convictions for a similar offence.

If you are granted bail:

• it may mean that an adult has to promise to pay money to the police or the court if you do not turn up at the police station or the court on the right date.
• there may also be conditions attached to bail such as going to the police station every day, not going out at night or keeping away from a particular place.

Sometimes the police might feel that they have very good reasons why you should not have bail. This might be if they think that you will commit another offence, or not turn up at court. New laws are coming which will give the police new powers in relation to bail. You should talk to your Youth Offending Team Worker or social worker about the new law.

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Remanded into Plymouth City Council accommodation

When a young person under 17 years has been remanded into Plymouth City Council accommodation, we have a responsibility to help the police make sure they turn up in the Youth Court for their hearing.

If you are on remand you will need to go to court for the remand to be reviewed. At these reviews, the court may be prepared to grant bail if it can be shown that you can be given care and support in the community, which is likely to work.

If you run away while you are remanded or detained in Plymouth City Council accommodation, you can be arrested and returned to the accommodation by the police.

In some cases where a young person is being remanded, the court might consider asking us if we could provide secure accommodation (which is kept locked). The court would only consider this in certain serious instances and would have to follow all the rules. At the time of writing this, the law is being changed and new laws are expected to be introduced which will change how the courts deal with cases when young people commit crimes. The new law may also affect what is required of us.

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Residence Order

Children and young people do not always have to live with their parents. Sometimes there are other people who they could live with like grandparents, or other relatives. If these people have already been caring for you or feel that they can look after you, they can go to court and ask for a Residence Order so that you can live with them. A Residence Order means the court making a decision about who you will live with. The court will want to know what you think before making this decision.

If the court makes a Residence Order:

• the person who will be caring for you gains parental responsibility for you which means they will be able to have a say in decisions about your life and your future.
• sometimes two people can have a Residence Order. For example, one person can have a Residence Order to care for you during the week, and another person can have one to care for you at weekends.

Sometimes if you have been living with a foster carer for over three years they might want to apply for a Residence Order. This would give them parental responsibility for you. Sometimes if we agree, then your foster carer can apply for a Residence Order if you have been living with them for less than three years. If this is what your foster carer would like to do then they should talk to you about it first.

If you do not want this to happen you can let your foster carer and your social worker know and let the court know by talking to your Guardian or your solicitor.

If a Residence Order is made while you are on a Care Order, then the Residence Order ends the Care Order and you don’t have to be looked after by Plymouth City Council.

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Residential social workers

The staff working in Children’s Homes are sometimes called residential social workers.

Their job has two parts to it:

The first part is to make sure that you have a good home life and are well cared for. Although living in a Children’s Home is different than living with foster carers, the staff in the home should still make you feel safe and secure and feel part of a larger family group. They should look after you in a similar way that children are looked after by foster carers. This means they should help you with your homework, make sure you eat healthy food, organise activities for you, make sure you have clean clothes to wear, go to open evenings in school if your parents cannot go, care for you if you are not well, etc.

When making sure that your care needs are met, this must include your cultural and religious needs. If you have a disability, staff must also make sure that you have any necessary equipment and facilities to assist you in your daily life in the home.

The second part of the residential social worker’s job is to work with your social worker on parts of your Care Plan. This might include arranging meetings to talk to your parents about plans for you to return home. Or arranging meetings with you and other people involved in your care plan to talk about how you are getting on. Your social worker may attend these meetings and they could also include your teacher or perhaps someone from the Health Service who you have been seeing.

Usually one of the residential social workers in the home will be your keyworker. Your keyworker is the person who has the main responsibility of looking after your care needs whilst you are in the home. They will talk to your social worker about how you are doing and will also attend your reviews if required. They should also talk to you about your wishes and feelings and take account of your views.

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Reviews

We must hold meetings to talk about how plans for looking after you are working out. We have to think about whether these plans need to be changed. These meetings are called reviews.

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How often is a review held?

The first review is held within 28 days from when you first started to be looked after by Plymouth City Council. The second review is three months after the first one and then the next reviews take place every 6 months whilst you remain looked after. Reviews can be more often if needed.

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What is talked about in a review?

The review will look at day-to-day things like your education, health, and contact with your family. The review will also look at the plans for your future.

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Who will usually come to your review?

You, your social worker, your parents, your foster carers and someone independent to chair the meeting called the Reviewing Officer.

Sometimes other people who can help may come, for example, an advocate, your teacher, other relatives or health workers. Your social worker will try and keep the numbers small so that it is easier for you to have your say.

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Can I say who comes to my review?

Your social worker will listen to your views about who you want to attend your review and who you don’t want to be there. Hopefully they will be able to make sure you are happy with who is coming. Your Reviewing Officer might be able to arrange it so that some people can talk first and then leave so that they don’t have to hear about all aspects of your life.

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Do I have to attend?

We need to know what you feel and think about how you are being looked after and about your future plans. The review gives you a chance to say how you want to be looked after. So it is good if you can come because it is your meeting, but you don’t have to. If you don’t want to come someone else can tell the review what you want.

If you are eight years of age or older, a person called an advocate will get in touch with you and ask if they can help you have your say. An advocate may go with you or attend for you. It is also possible to ask an adult that you trust to go with you. You will have a chance to write down what you would like people to know before the meeting. Your social worker will help you do this.

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Where will my review be held?

It may be held at a Plymouth City Council office, where you are living or another place that is comfortable and safe.

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What can I do if I am unhappy about my review?

If you are unhappy about:

• anything that happened in your review, or
• about the plans made for you, or
• if you did not have the chance to go to your review

then you can make a complaint. Your social worker or the Reviewing Officer will tell you how to do this or you can send in your Contact Card or phone the Freephone Number on the Contact page of this section.

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