| 释义 |
looked-after child
A child who is either the subject of a care order or who is being provided with accommodation by the local authority on a voluntary basis (see voluntary accommodation). The local authority has a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of such children. It must seek, where possible, to promote contact between the child and its parents, relatives, and others closely connected with the child. Accommodation should be near where the child lives, and siblings should be accommodated together. A written plan should be drawn up before a child is placed; all the people involved in the plan, including the child (so far as is consistent with his age and understanding), should be consulted. Crucially, local authorities also continue to have duties in respect of certain children who have ceased to be looked after by them. In respect of a child of 16 or 17, the local authority must arrange for the child to have a personal adviser and prepare what is called a “pathway plan”, which must be kept under regular review. In relation to former looked-after children who are 18 and over, the local authority is under a duty to take reasonable steps to keep in touch with such an individual, to continue with the appointment of his personal adviser, and to keep the pathway plan under review. There is also a duty to give assistance in relation to the child’s educational or training needs and in some cases to contribute to living expenses incurred in connection with the pathway plan. |