Unregulated consultation: DfE must not forget about children who are not in care

They include lack of oversight, minimal key worker contact time for young people, high numbers of out of area placements, frequent placement moves, children being housed alongside adults including those who engage in risk-taking behaviours, properties that are dirty, run-down or lack basic furnishings and at the worst end of the scale, leave children and young people at risk of violence or exploitation.

But many people may not be aware that there are children living in these placements who are completely on their own without even the benefit of a social worker looking out for them – because they have never formally been taken into care and instead were housed through a legal loophole which allowslocal authorities to provide them with minimal support. At Just for Kids Law we have been working with these children for many years. Our lawyers and youth advocates regularly take on and win cases on behalf of children whoasked their local authority for support as they became homeless aged 16 or 17 and instead of being made a looked after child and under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989 have been placed in unregulated accommodation underhousing legislationor Section 17 of the Children Act. This happens even though case law and guidance clearly discourages this practice.