Outline Why Children and Young People May Need to Be Looked After

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The local authority must safeguard and promote the welfare of children when possible in their homes and the community, there are times when a child’s best interests are met when being cared for away from their family home. This is known as “looked after” and is used when an arrangement is agreed for a child to move away from their home, either as a voluntary arrangement where the parents/carers agree to it or as the result of a care order. This can be for a short time (24 hours) or for a longer period of time; the length will depend upon the child’s needs and whether the parents/carers are able to provide on-going care in their home. Children and young people may need to be looked after away from their families when their parents are not able to provide care in a temporary/permanent capacity. The majority of “looked after” children are looked after for their own care and protection. For example; o Some may have experienced physical, sexual or emotional abuse o Some parents are unable to look after their children due to substance misuse or poor parenting skills o Some children have complex disabilities and need to be placed in certain residential schools o Some may have experienced neglect o Some children or young people may need time away from their family and/or their community while a package of support is put in place to try to rebuild family relationships Children and young people are individuals with their own personalities, needs and experiences. Every child will need to be looked after for a different period of time, some return home, some are put into foster homes and are adopted and some simply remain looked after until they reach adulthood and can fend for themselves. (http://www.celcis.org/looked_after_children/why_do_some_children_and_young_people_become_looked_after/) A child or young person may become “looked after” could be due to bereavement,

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