‘There weren’t any staff around. We were basically just left to fend for ourselves. It was absolute chaos'
‘I used to wake up to go to school, go downstairs and find homeless people sleeping in the kitchen,’ recalls Yusuf, a 27-year-old care leaver.
Such living arrangement fall under the umbrella of ‘unregulated placements’, a term used by both the government and social services, which refers to a form of accommodation for young people in care. It can include anything from a caravan to a bedsit and at present, there are around 6,000 children residing in them in England. Over half are from Black and minoritised communities.
According to the government, these unregulated accommodations ‘should be used as a stepping stone to independence, and only ever when it’s in a child’s best interests’ – however, the narrative around preparing children for independence at this age has been heavily criticised by campaigners.describing some as being ‘unfit for human habitation’, unregulated placements continue to receive government backing – and many feel that even with this latest legislation not enough is being done.
‘It was probably one of the scariest times in my life,’ remembers the student. ‘There were constant parties, the most awful anti-social behaviour, and the housekeeping was absolutely atrocious. ‘But the thing is, there was nothing I could do. If I told them to get out, they wouldn’t listen to me. I was just a kid, and there were more of them than me. So I just had to be compliant as possible so I wouldn’t get physically targeted.’
Many campaigners worry that having children in unregulated placements being offered support rather than care means that there’s no set requirement to ensure they have a minimum amount of contact time per week with staff. In turn, young people are at risk of easily slipping through the net. Although Yusuf was able to gain A levels while in his placement, he was no stranger to obstacles. A lack of financial support made it almost impossible to continue at times.
She admits that had she been forced to make the transition at a younger age, she wouldn’t have been able to cope. The environment, she says, is barely manageable for an adult, let alone a child. ‘I was just told “you’re going here”,’ she recalls. ‘There was no sense of agency or autonomy. I had no control over any of it. I had to start again in a place I didn’t know, which was terrifying.
‘If I fall, no one is here to help me,’ she explains. ‘I have no way to communicate that I am in danger or in pain. It’s like it had never occured to anyone that a disabled person could live here.’ At one point, Rowan had to beg staff to bring her a plate of food into her room – however, some refused, stating it was ‘outside staff policy’.As this was not the first time Rowan had been forced to uproot her life, she was astutely aware of her rights, as well as the policies operating within the placement. This meant Rowan was able to advocate for the help she needed – something she recognises is a privilege that not all care-leavers share.
‘Some had been forced to cross borders to flee war, while their soon-to-be classmates had only ever known travel as something to be relished. Others had been forced into caring roles at the age when most children have not yet mastered the art of tying their shoelaces. Rebekah as a teenager in supported living: ‘ I relied on a combination of free school meals, dreading the school holidays when these were unavailable’
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