Too many young people in care system still missing out on support, says charity

Too many young people in care are being “denied the opportunity to benefit” from programmes to ensure they have the right support network around them, a charity has said, despite a major review recommending all councils should have them in place by this year.

The Family Rights Group charity welcomed £30 million in funding which it said will enable around 1,000 children in care in England to build support networks through the Lifelong Links programme.

But it called for a national rollout of the scheme, which sees an independent person work with a child in care to find family they want to get to know and keep contact with, brings them together and makes a plan supported by the local authority to ensure the relationships can be maintained.

Lifelong Links is transforming lives for children in care ... These and other impacts reduce councils’ social care costs by bringing down the demands on social care teams, meaning that the programme more than pays for itself

An Oxford University evaluation of the programme found it had a positive impact on the lives of children in care, giving “an increased sense of identity and belonging”, the 2022 independent review of children’s social care said.

That review also recommended that “all local authorities should have skilled family finding support equivalent to, or exceeding, the work of Lifelong Links in place by 2024 at the very latest”.

The Family Rights Group, which helped develop the programme and supports local authorities to implement it, said the latest funding is welcome but warned that too many children are still missing out.

Cathy Ashley, chief executive of Family Rights Group, said: “Today’s announcement is an important step in the right direction, taking the total number of English local authorities offering Lifelong Links to 36 – in addition to six more in other nations of the UK.

“But it still leaves young people in the care system in three quarters of English councils denied the opportunity to benefit.

“Our Build Not Break campaign is calling on the new Government to ensure it is available to all children and young people in the care system and care leavers, both in England and across the UK.

“Lifelong Links is transforming lives for children in care. It is increasing the number of people they can turn to, improving their mental health and sense of identity, and reducing the chance of becoming homeless.

“These and other impacts reduce councils’ social care costs by bringing down the demands on social care teams, meaning that the programme more than pays for itself.”

The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.