News

Care-leaver plans must be reviewed by social workers, judge rules

1 min read Social Care
Plans for children leaving care must be reviewed by a social worker rather than a personal adviser, a High Court judge has ruled.

The judgment was made at the High Court this week in relation to a case of an 18-year-old care leaver whose "pathway plan" review was carried out by his personal adviser and not a social worker.

Mr Justice Parker said that this was unlawful as personal advisers are employed as an intermediary between social workers and care leavers.  

He added that the personal adviser can be involved in the review of the plan, but must not carry out the review itself. This is the role of a social worker, he ruled.

The aim of the pathway plan is to ensure looked-after children are supported when they have left care until the age of 21, or 24 if they are still in education. This plan has to be reviewed every six months.

The 18-year-old’s solicitor, Oliver Studdert, said: "This judgment makes clear that social services cannot cease to be involved with children leaving care once they reach 18. The role of the personal adviser should always be to work with the young person and to play a negotiating role with social services on their behalf. All too frequently a personal adviser also plays the role of social worker."

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included

  • Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month

  • Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here

Posted under:


More like this