Children in care

If a child is being cared for by Hackney Council for more than 24 hours, they’re known as a ‘child in care’ or a ‘looked after child’.

Sometimes children need to be looked after for longer periods if there are serious concerns for their welfare and they cannot live with their birth families.

Fostering, adoption and residential homes

When children need to be looked after for a longer time, we make decisions about their care and living arrangements that best fit the child’s individual needs.

Most children in care are in foster care or live with other members of their extended family. 

Adoption will be considered for younger children in care who are not going to be able to return home. 

For a small number of young people their needs are best met in specialist residential care – also known as children’s homes.

Referring a child to care in Hackney

If you work for another local authority and you’re placing a cared for child in a foster home in Hackney, you must notify us. Email cscreferrals@hackney.gcsx.gov.uk.

Residential homes

We provide residential accommodation for children up to 16 years old who cannot live with their birth families. 

Residential homes provide food, shelter and space for play and leisure in a caring environment.

Before we place children in a residential home, we will assess their needs. This assessment will involve the young person and, if appropriate, their family. It will also include social workers and residential staff.

Care plans for children in residential homes

Residential homes look after children with many different needs. When children and young people come to live in a children’s home they will have a care plan.

Their care plan says:

• why a child is living in a home
• what is supposed to happen while they’re living there 
• what is expected to happen at the end of their stay

Most children will go home, but some will go to live with other families and some will go to live in other homes. Older children who are not planning to return home are given help to prepare them for living on their own.

Education and socialising for children in foster homes

If a child has a school place, they will continue to go to school – or we help to get them back into school. 

If possible, we will help children and young people to stay in touch with their family and friends. Some children will not be able to see their family or friends if it will put them at risk or there’s a court order preventing it. 

In this situation, we provide an independent visitors’ service. Independent visitors are stable role models and mentors for children in care. They are volunteers who visit the young person every month to provide support, share interests and hobbies and have fun. 

We also make sure children’s religious and cultural needs are met.

Leaving care

We offer a service to young people aged 18 and above who’ve been in care for a certain amount of time. This is called the ‘local offer’.

We give the care leaver independent living skills, career advice and training and educational opportunities. 

Visit our local offer for care leavers website.

Children in care strategies 

Our Corporate Parenting Strategy (PDF 1.1mb) explains our priorities for supporting children and young people in care over the next 3 years.

Our Corporate Parenting Sufficiency Strategy (PDF 2.7mb) explains how we plan to meet the accommodation needs of children in care and care leavers, now and in the future.