Children & Young People

Sometimes people shorten Children Looked After to CLA. Others say looked after children (LAC) but we use children looked after (CLA) because you said you prefer it (and it puts the children first- that’s right!).

CLA is a term to explain that a child or young person is living in care. This can be in a foster placement with foster carers, or a residential unit with carers and key workers.

Being on a Child Protection plan means you are still living with your family but children’s services are involved, to make sure you are safe. We will be working with you and your family to make sure you’re being properly cared for and protected from harm. Conferences are held regularly to discuss your case and the social worker will let you know what’s happening, what the plan means and how everyone is working together, for you.

Here is some information on child protection conferences:

• Your Child Protection Conference - A guide for children and young people 2017

• Child Protection Conference - A guide for parents and carers 2017

If your parents cannot look after you for any reason, and neither can a relative or friend, then your social worker will ask the family placement team to find somewhere for you to live and people to care for you.

Slough ChildrenFirst can provide you with accommodation as a way of helping you and your family through the difficult times. Accommodation is a voluntary arrangement between your parents and Slough Children First.

OR

Slough Children First will need to legally share your parents’ responsibility for you, by applying to the court for a care order. Your social worker will tell you more about what a care order means.

Placement is a word used to describe the place that you are living. This can be a foster placement with foster carers or a residential home with key workers.

It is their job to look after you and make sure you are safe. They will also help and support you to be happy and successful.

Sometimes before you come in to care, social workers have to go to court and talk to the judge. If this happens a care order will be made saying that you need to be looked after, this is called an interim care order or a care order.

For some children and young people social workers don’t have to go to court straightaway because their parents have given permission for them to be looked after, this is called Section 20.

Most children will live with a foster family or a member of their extended family or perhaps in a residential home for children and young people. The fostering team will try to find you a placement as close to your school and family, so that you can keep in touch.

Foster carers are ordinary people who look after children and young people who cannot stay with their own families. They may have other foster children living with them or their own children.

They are carefully chosen by Slough Children First’s Fostering Team. Sometimes people you know, such as relatives or family friends, can become your foster carers.

We need a lot of information about you to make sure that we look after you well.

One form that Slough Children First can use is an assessment and action record. This is all about you. You should use it to talk and think about all the different things that are important in your life.

Yes. Information will be kept in an electronic file by your social worker and you have a right to see what is written about you.

Your social worker will visit you regularly and talk to you on your own about how you are getting on.

Your social worker will listen to you and make sure your views are taken into account when decisions and plans are made.

Usually, yes. You and your family should be able to see each other and keep in touch by telephone and letter. Your foster carer can help you with this.

Your social worker will make plans so that you and your family know when you will be seeing each other, for how long and where.

There are sometimes special reasons why this cannot happen, your social worker will talk to you about this.

Yes. You will receive an amount agreed between you, your social worker and your foster carer. The amount you get will be dependent on your age.

You will need to talk to your foster carer or social worker about any friends you want to stay with. They will need to check out these plans to ensure that you are safe.

Yes, you will get the clothes that you need.

Wherever possible you will be with carers who are the same background as you or who understand, respect and value your background, culture and religion
They will help you to have the food you normally eat
They will help you to practice your religion.

There are many people you can talk to about how you are feeling, for example, your social worker, foster carer or independent reviewing officer.

Your care plan is an important plan about you. It sets out in writing what you need to make sure you are being well looked after and supported in all the areas of your life.  It will say what needs to be done to make it work and who is going to do what.

Your care plan includes:

Who is going to look after you.
How to stay healthy.
Where you are going to go to school.
How you will do the things you enjoy.
How and when you will see your family or other important people in your life.
How you will practice your religion and culture.
What the plan for your future is.