The law states that local authorities must deliver specific things for Children in Care and Care Leavers:

  1. A registered medical practitioner must assess their emotional and mental health on entry to care and produce a report
  2. The ongoing mental health reviews must be supervised by a registered medical practitioner
  3. The local authority must put safeguarding measures in place to ensure the safety of Children in Care and Care Leavers

It's important young people receive these checks and are protected,  our support below can help you access this. 

Isabel's Voice believe emotional and mental health services need to be improved for children in care, as unresolved mental health conditions can affect their education and other long term outcomes. If you're currently in care, or were in care at any point after 2011 and want to improve the emotional and mental health support that local authorities deliver, then please get in touch with us.

We need to bring legal challenges to local authorities to force them to improve their emotional and mental health practice and need your help to do this. Do you want to make the system better for other young people in care?

Bringing a court case is easy and cost free for children in care and care leavers:

  1. Children in care and care leavers can access Legal Aid and will not pay any costs;
  2. Children in care and care leavers will not have to attend court;
  3. Only two or three very informal meetings will be needed with one of our solicitors,  who are experienced in working with young people in this position;
  4. Children in care and care leavers will not be liable for any court costs if a case is lost.


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What to do next:

  1. Contact our solicitor who is partnering us on this issue for advice on whether you can bring a legal claim against your local authority oliver.carter@irwinmitchell.com or phone 0370 1500 100;
  2. If you have a claim the solicitor will support you to access Legal Aid (if eligible), making it free to you;
  3. The barristers with whom we are partnering will work with the legal team, to support the process into any court proceedings;
  4. Contact Isabel's Voice for additional support (admin@isabelsvoice.org.uk).

 

We need YOU to challenge local authorities across England as there are 153 of them. Each local authority has a Corporate Parenting Panel that meets to discuss the outcomes for their Children In Care and Care Leavers. You can attend but cannot ask questions, however your local counsellor is able to ask questions on your behalf at these meetings. Contact Isabel’s Voice if you would like support to challenge your local authority.

call to action image Please contact your local counsellor to ask challenging questions of your local authority at the Corporate Parenting Panel. If you would like help with this, please contact Isabel's Voice.

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