Dictionary Result for : 'C'
CAMHS
CAMHS stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. CAMHS supports children and young people aged 0-18 years where there are concerns about their behaviour or emotional wellbeing. Everyone has problems now and again so if you feel like you could benefit from talking to someone let you carer or social worker know and they can try and get you some support.
To find out more visit the CAMHS website
Care leaver
All children who are over 16 and leaving care fall within one of the following categories:
eligible child;
o Aged 16 or 17
o Looked after by children’s services for a period of 13 weeks since the age of 14
o Currently looked after
relevant child;
o Aged 16 or 17
o Looked after by children’s services for a period of 13 weeks since the age of 14
o Looked after for a period of time after their 16th birthday
o No longer looked after
former relevant child;
o Aged between 18 and 21 OR between 18 and 25 if still in full-time education
o Previously an eligible child and/or a relevant child
qualifying care leaver;
o Aged between 16 and 21 OR between 16 and 25 if still in full-time education
o Looked after by children’s services on, or after, their 16th birthday and no longer looked after
o Spent less than 13 weeks in care since 14th birthday, i.e. do not fulfil criteria for eligible or relevant child
Care order
When a judge decides who should look after you, the decision is written down in an important report called a care order.
Care Plan
All children looked after have a care plan. This is the document your social worker writes which has all the information about you, your placement and the plans for your future. It should be updated regularly as you and your needs change.
Care Proceedings
A process that children’s services go through with the courts to decide if you need to go into care.
Child Protection Conference
This is a meeting about what to do when a child is at risk of significant harm. We look at what the danger is and discuss what needs to be done to keep the child safe.
Children Act (1989)
This is a document that the government brought out in 1989. It tells local authorities like Bromley exactly what they have to provide by law for all children that live in their area. Children in care have their own sections but the act applies to all children and includes things like education and the general well-being of children.
Child in Need
A ‘child in need’ assessment under section 17 will identify the needs of the child and ensure that the family are given the appropriate support in enabling them to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare.
Children’s home
A children’s home is a home for a group of children in care. It is managed by professional staff.
Children’s services
Is the department of the council which is responsible for children. It used to be called Social Services.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality basically means that ‘only people, who need to know, should know’ – information about you and your life is confidential and shouldn’t be known by those who are not responsible for your care. The workers in your life will work together so that they can ensure you are being cared for well, this means that they will need to discuss things about you and your family. They will also need to share information with each other in order to ensure you are safe.
Contact
Contact is used to describe you having time with your parents or other family members. Contact may be face-to-face meetings, telephone calls, letters, texts, cards, sending photos, skype or email etc. Contact can be supervised by a social worker or unsupervised, just you and your family. If you want to know more about your contact arrangements please speak to your social worker.
Contact order
This is a court order which says who you should see or keep in touch with. It may include direct contact, like visits, but sometimes it may involve indirect contact, like letters or phone calls. The court can also decide things like where the contact will take place, if it should be supervised, and how often it happens.
Corporate parents
When you go into care your local authority (Bromley) becomes your ‘corporate parent’. This means that although the local authority is an organisation and not an actual person, it still has responsibility for helping you to grow up well and be happy, just like a parent should.
Council
The proper term for a council is a local authority. They look after your local area. The local authority (Bromley Council) is like a mini government, with its own politicians and staff. Click here to visit the Bromley website.