My Help at Hand team offers advice and assistance to children in care, children living away from home, children with a social worker, and to care leavers up to the age of 25. Together, this small team of child’s rights experts manage upwards of 100 cases each month on average, carrying out my statutory duty to promote and protect the rights of all children, particularly those children who are living away from home or receiving support from social care services.
As Care Leavers’ Month comes to an end, I have asked the Help at Hand team to share some of the stories from care leavers they have supported.
Details have been anonymised to protect the identities of young people.
Sammy’s story: At 21, Sammy was referred to Help at Hand by his advocate after winning a complaint that his local authority should have supported him with council tax arrears. As an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child who was moved out of area at 16 and later got his immigration status, Sammy missed out on the usual tax exemption for care leavers until they reach 25 and had no agreement in place between the two councils.
Despite the complaint stating his arrears should be cleared and future exemption in place, nothing happened for months and bailiffs began pursuing him. Help at Hand intervened and within two weeks his local authority confirmed it would wipe the debt and set up the agreement to keep Sammy exempt from council tax until the age of 25.
Wayne’s story: Wayne contacted Help at Hand at age 19 after struggling to access his Higher Education Bursary. Despite being in care since he was six years old and now in his second year of university, no one was able to explain why he was missing out on the support.
It later emerged Wayne’s local authority had wrongly withheld his bursary because he lived with his long-term foster family under a Staying Put arrangement instead of moving into student accommodation. Help at Hand stepped in and Wayne finally received his bursary and was supported to remain with his foster family for the rest of his degree.
Charlie’s story: Charlie entered care at 10 and, under a Special Guardianship Order, lived with his grandparent until they moved abroad when he was 16. Children’s services placed him with a family friend but did not update the legal order. They monitored him for a while and closed his case – despite Charlie wanting continued support.
As a result, he lost access to financial help for college. He had no guidance about education, work, or housing as he approached 18. Charlie didn’t know where to turn, but a concerned relative contacted Help at Hand and with Charlie’s consent, the team challenged the council, arguing he should be treated as a qualifying care leaver. The Leaving Care team agreed, allocated him a Personal Adviser, and began assessing his needs.
Diana’s story: Diana was a looked after child who became pregnant at 17. She lived in supported accommodation, but this was unsuitable and was later given a permanent council property by the time her baby was born. Her allocated property was completely unfurnished, so Diana had to use most of her Setting Up Home allowance to buy carpet.
Despite repeated attempts, she couldn’t reach her Personal Adviser and spent three weeks in the flat with her one-year-old without furniture or appliances, surviving on non-perishable food and takeaways while juggling college, work and her own health needs.
Her advocate’s complaint made little progress, so Help at Hand escalated the case. Diana’s council acted quickly and soon provided a microwave and fridge, and the other items arrived soon after.
Ahmed’s story: Ahmed arrived in the UK as an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child and was placed in different local authority to his parent one. Now approaching 21, he contacted Help at Hand through his Personal Adviser after struggling for years to secure local housing support.
Although he lived in YMCA accommodation and wants to stay in the town where has friends and education plans, repeated Duty to Refer requests from his Personal Adviser and advocacy from YMCA staff went unanswered.
Help at Hand escalated the issue, and senior housing leaders apologised and promised a new assessment and dedicated homelessness prevention support. But months later, Ahmed remained in limbo. Help at Hand continued to support him. Clearer guidance giving care leavers priority in the area they actually live in would prevent delays like this.
