Advice and Support for Looked After Children

The term 'looked-after children' (LAC) refers to children who are:

• In public care;
• With foster carers;
• In residential homes; or
• With relatives and /or family friends

Every child in care has a social worker allocated to him.

The social worker's task is to formulate, with the child's carers and family, a care plan for the child to ensure that he has the support to achieve the five outcomes of the government programme Every Child Matters.

They are:

• Be healthy
• Stay safe
• Enjoy and achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve economic well-being

Who are looked-after children?

Every year about 100 children in Enfield come into public care because they cannot be supported by their own families.

We try to keep children from the same family together. Some children just need to be looked after for a short period before returning to their family. Others need to be looked after for much longer. Most children are in foster care. Only a few children, those who need specialist care, live in residential homes.

Parents of disabled children can obtain respite care for their children to enable them to have a break.

The Corporate Parenting Group maintains an overview of all services provided to all children and young people in the council's care.