Our 2024-2025 Pledge for Looked after Children
These are our promises to all children in care and to young people moving on from care to adult life:
Everyone needs to feel safe and secure
We will help find you the best place to live, where you feel safe, cared for and treated well, for as long as you need.
We will:
- listen and take your views seriously
- ensure children with disabilities receive support that takes their individual needs into account
- tell you about the place where you may live and, if possible, show it to you
- expect you to be treated fairly as part of a family, or in a placement, where you feel comfortable
- respect you for who you are
- make sure you have a bank account to help your savings grow
- help you follow your own religion
Everyone should have someone to talk to
You will have your own social worker and Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) who will get to know you well, keep in touch and listen to what you say.
They will:
- Ask you who you want at your ‘My Voice Matters’ meeting (previously named LAC review) and send you a personal letter afterwards explaining what was discussed
- Involve you in all decisions affecting you
- Give you their phone number
- See you by yourself sometimes
- Explain why you are in care and be there for you to talk about any worries or problems
- Be on time for meetings
- Tell you how to complain or get an advocate
Staying in touch
We will help you stay in touch with your family and friends if you want, as long as it is safe.
We will:
- ask how often you want to see your family
- ask you how and where you want your contact to happen
- try to keep you living with your brothers and sisters and make sure you see each other
- check regularly that we’ve got it right for you
- make sure your social worker explains why sometimes you can’t see your family as often as you should like
Everyone has talent
We will encourage you to have fun with your interests and hobbies.
We will:
- encourage you to try out new activities
- value your strengths, gifts and talents
- expect your carers to help you take part in fun activities every week
- encourage you to volunteer in your community when you are old enough
- celebrate your achievements
Everyone deserves a good education
We will help you get the best education training and career.
We will:
- make sure you get a place at the best school or college
- keep you at the same school if that is best for your education
- arrange meetings that don’t involve you coming out of lessons
- expect your carers to support you with your education and homework
- make a personal education plan with you so you get extra support if you need it
- support you emotionally and financially onto independence, further education or university
Everyone deserves a good education
We will:
- make sure you get a place at the best school or college
- keep you at the same school if that is best for your education
- arrange meetings that don’t involve you coming out of lessons
- expect your carers to support you with your education and homework
- make a personal education plan with you so you get extra support if you need it
- support you emotionally and financially onto independence, further education or university
Staying healthy
We will support you to stay fit and healthy and will:
- encourage you to eat healthily
- make sure you have regular health and dental check-ups
- have access to a looked after children’s nurse who you can speak to you by yourself about any health worries or questions you may have.
- encourage you to take regular exercise doing something you enjoy
Support your mental health and wellbeing
We all need a bit of help sometimes, mental health problems are really common and can happen to everyone. You do not ever have to cope on your own. We will:
- take your feelings and worries seriously and find the right people to help you
- help you talk to someone you trust
- understand that your emotional needs can be complex and different to other peoples.
- explain how counselling can help you understand your thoughts and feelings better
LGBTQ+
You might be reading this thinking, ‘I don’t know who I am yet’ or ‘I came out a while back and think I might want to use a different term.' You might be certain that you are LGBTQ+ but haven’t told anyone yet.
There can be a lot of pressure to find a term that ‘fits’ you
and explains who you are but remember, there is no pressure to use a particular label.
Whoever you are, wherever you are on your journey, you have a right to kindness and full equality in the world.
CICC’S Top Tips to help you speak up
Your thoughts and feelings belong to you. Therefore they deserve to be heard. Try to attend your meetings because if you are there, you have a chance to be heard.
We know that it can feel awkward speaking to people, but that’s OK because an advocate can do this for you.
Advocates are independent from the local authority. They are trained to help you make sure your voice is heard. East Sussex use Asphaleia for this.
Neurodiversity
'Neurodiversity just means my brain has a different chemistry to yours.'
Some people are born with brains that think, learn and process information differently than others. This can make things challenging for children particularly at school, or when trying to make friends.
Be kind and try to understand we all experience the world in different ways.
Online pressures
Smartphones and computers put the whole online world at our fingertips, but not always in a good way. Get support with peer pressure, cyberbullying and more.
Some things to remember:
- What you put online stays online. Even things you delete can be saved or a screen shot taken.
- Online strangers are still strangers.
- It’s easy to over-share especially on social media sites.
- Privacy is essential. Make sure you use site settings to protect your personal information.
- Block and report. Don’t hesitate to block or report anyone who makes you feel uncomfortable.