Child Care

Welcome to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety website for Leaving and After Care. This page is intended for anyone who is interested in leaving and after care services in Northern Ireland, including children and young people who are preparing to leave or have already left care.

In May 2005, the Department published Regulations and Guidance which will support the implementation of the Children (Leaving Care) Act (NI) 2002. The provisions of the Children (Leaving Care) Act and its accompanying Regulations came into operation on 1 September 2005.

The Children (Leaving Care) Regulations (NI) 2005 and accompanying Guidance is available in pdf format at:
Leaving and After care Guidance and Regulations .

The document can be purchased from The Stationery Office Bookshop at the following address:

TSO Ireland
16 Arthur Street
Belfast
BT1 4GD

Telephone: (028) 9023 8451

Email: enquiries@tsoireland.com

A guide for young people entitled 'Leaving Care? Lost? Your Step by Step Guide to Leaving Care' to assist their understanding of the new arrangements has been produced in conjunction with the Voice of Young People in Care (VOYPIC).  The guide is also available on the VOYPIC Youth website: http://www.bawareofwatsncare.co.uk/

The Children (Leaving Care) Act provides a new legal framework for leaving and after care services. Its main purpose is to improve the life prospects of young people who are looked after by Health and Social Services Trusts as they make the transition to independent living. To achieve this, the Act amends the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 to place new and enhanced duties on HSS Trusts to support young people leaving care.

The main aims are to prevent premature discharges from care, improve preparation, planning and consistency of support for young people, and to strengthen arrangements for financial assistance. At its heart, are new duties to assess and meet young people’s individual needs, provide personal advisers and develop pathway planning for young people up to the age of 21 (or beyond if continuing in education).

The need for comprehensive assessments and pathway planning should help to bring a sharper focus to the leaving care stage. Whether or not they continue to be looked after by social services, every young person will have an assessment, a personal adviser and a pathway plan as soon as practicable after they reach the age of 16.

Pathway planning should identify immediate needs and look forward to longer-term future care needs. The pathway plan will need to be continuously monitored, reviewed and adjusted in light of experience. The role of the personal adviser will be pivotal in helping to construct and implement the pathway plan, in providing continuity of support for the young person through his or her transition to independence and adulthood and identifying the resources and services required to meet his or her needs. The Regulations and accompanying Guidance specify the functions of personal advisers and the core areas that must be addressed in pathway plans.

The Regulations support the provisions of the Children (Leaving Care) Act (Northern Ireland) 2002. They set out in more detail the matters to be taken into account by HSS Trusts when assessing and meeting the needs of those preparing to leave care and those who have left care. The Regulations cover:

The Act and Regulations provide that all young people who are aged sixteen or seventeen and who have been looked after for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14 will qualify for leaving care services under the new legislative arrangements. Young people who continue to be looked after are known as eligible children. Those who leave care after the age of 16, who were previously eligible are known as relevant children. Those who leave care after the age of 18, who were previously either eligible or relevant are known as former relevant children.

Current Northern Ireland legislation relating to Leaving and After Care services for children and young people:

The addresses and telephone numbers of the 11 Health and Social Services Trusts are reproduced for anyone wishing to make contact with the family and child care teams.