Teenager in care 'not able to access education'

A woman who went through the care system says she feels her education became "not really a priority" for the authorities.

Iesha, from West Sussex, who is now 21, only completed eight months of schooling between the ages of 13 and 18, because of the number of times she was moved to different homes.

The care-leavers charity Become says 30% of children in care are moved during their A-levels, and 13% during their GCSEs.

The Department for Education (DfE) says planned legislation will be "the biggest overhaul of children's social care in a generation". West Sussex County Council said it worked closely with families and professionals "to maintain stability and ensure continuity of care".

Iesha had 14 different placements in Sussex and London, leading to long periods when she was not enrolled at school.

"My education became not really a priority," she said, saying it effectively ended in Year 10.

"I kind of tuned out of education because it was something I couldn't control, I couldn't make these applications myself, I can't get myself into school."

She went back to college at the age of 18 to sturdy for her GCSEs, but said she feared the damage had already been done.

"There's always going to be someone that's more suitable for a role than I am, because of the lack of education, because of those missed gaps," she told BBC South East.

Katharine Sacks-Jones, CEO of Become, said: "Moving disrupts any child's education, but for children in care, school is often their lifeline and can be the one constant in their life.

"When they're uprooted mid-way through studying for their GCSEs or A-levels or actually during exam periods, years of hard work vanish overnight. Friendships end. Teachers disappear."

A DfE spokesperson said: "Our landmark Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill represents the biggest overhaul of children's social care in a generation and is a key step towards delivering the government's mission to break the link between young people's background and their future success.

"Through our Plan for Change we're also investing £2 billion over the course of this parliament to give more children a safe, loving home, including by expanding the children's home estate, delivering more foster care placements and helping keep families together by providing targeted support before problems escalate."

A West Sussex County Council spokesperson said: "There are occasions when we need to move children, which we recognise is disruptive.

"However these moves occur far less than they did five years ago," they said.

"In a small number of cases, particularly for our children and young people with additional and complex needs, we may need to place them outside the local area to ensure they receive the specialist care and support they require.

"We work closely with families and professionals to maintain stability and ensure continuity of care."

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