Looked after children support

Social worker

Your social worker should visit you at least once every four weeks and spend time with you making sure that everything is okay and that you are happy with the way you are being cared for. Your social worker will attend your review meetings and other important meetings. You can phone or email your social worker and ask them to visit you if you need to talk to them about something. If you are really unhappy with your social worker you should talk to someone about it (such as your carer, children's rights worker, complaints officer) to see if they can help you to sort out the problem. If you really cannot work it out and problems continue, as a last resort it may be possible to change your social worker.

Reviewing officer

You will have a reviewing officer who is independent of your social worker, a reviewing officer is there to check that there is a clear plan for your future and that people are doing what they should to make this plan work. They are in charge of making sure that your review meeting takes place when it should and that your views are listened to. You might only see them around the time of your review but they should make time to talk to you in private if you want this.

Children's guardian

If your family is involved with the courts and important decisions are being made about where you should live you may have someone called a children's guardian. This is someone who is asked by the courts to look after your best interests.

Regulation 33 visitor

If you live in a children's home you may hear people talk about a Regulation 33 visitor. This person is employed by the Council and will visit the home each month to make sure that the home is a safe place for children to live. The visitor will make time to talk to you in private if you want to do this and will include your views in their report.

Registration and inspection officer

If you live in a children's home you may hear people talk about a registration and inspection officer who are employed by the Government. The person will visit the home twice a year to make sure that the home is a safe place to live and that your needs are being met. The officer will make time to talk to you in private if you want to do this and include your views in their report on the inspection.