Looked after children - Know your rights
About your rights
It doesn't matter if you are young or old, we all have rights. You should respect other people's rights and other people should respect yours.
When you are a young person it is harder for you to make sure that your rights are respected, that is why the adults around you need to make sure you are safe and sound.
It is important for you to know what to do if you do not feel that your rights are being respected.
Children's services have to make sure that you are protected from harm, that you get the services that fit your needs, and that you can participate in making decisions that affect you.
Most rights we have are written down in law. For example there are laws that say that no one should be discriminated against because of their race, culture, disability or sex. That means that when we are discriminated against we know that we can get help to stop it happening.
The Children Act 1989 is a piece of law that sets out what you should expect from children's services. It also says what children's services must do to make sure you are ok. It explains what to do if you are not happy about the way you are looked after.
The Children Act says:
- You have a right to complain if you are not happy
- You must be protected and kept safe
- Children's services must find out what your wishes and feelings are before making decisions about you
- Your welfare must come first
- You must be able to see family and friends unless it puts you at risk
- Your race, culture, religion, language, sex and disability must be taken into consideration
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child describes a set of 'rights' for all children.
These rights are not law, but it is used as a guide to describe how all children and young people should be treated.
- A Right to education
- A Right to see information written about you
- A Right to be protected
- A Right to have your voice heard and taken into account when decisions are made about you
- A Right to be protected against discrimination
What do you do if you feel that your rights are not being respected?
If you think that something is wrong in the way you are being looked after, you should check it out. At first you might just have a query or a grumble, so you may be able to sort it out by talking to an adult you trust.
If you can, you should speak to your carer or your social worker first. If you feel uncomfortable about this, think of another adult who you trust. If you know you are having a review soon, maybe that is a good place to share your worries.
They should listen to you and help you to work out if you want to do anything. If you want information, they should be able to find out the information for you.
If you are still not happy or if you can't think of an adult who might help, then contact Children's Rights on freephone 0500 235 844, or the young person's complaints officer on 020 8753 3634.
You also have a right to make a complaint under The Children Act. You are allowed to complain about any service you receive as well as about any service that you don't receive.
The Complaints Procedure is specially designed so that if you make a complaint, it must be looked into by people who did not make the decision and who do not work for social services. There is a leaflet that you can get which explains more. This ensures that your complaint will be taken seriously and responded to as quickly as possible.
