About the Children in Care team

The majority of young people in care come from families who experience difficulties. 

A child may become looked after due to:

• the family is unable to provide the care needed
• the illness or death of a parent
• harmful experiences, including physical and sexual abuse
• vulnerable, unaccompanied children seeking asylum in the UK
• assessed as being under 18 and have no family members who can look after them
• offences they have committed.

Looked after children are usually cared for by foster carers. Some children live in children's homes and a few live in specialist homes. Sometimes, extended family members will look after a child. This is often a preferable arrangement for the child so they are not placed with strangers.

Our Children in Care team provide social work services to children up to the age of 18 years old who are looked after by the Isle of Wight Children’s Services.

The service a child receives includes:

• regular social worker visits
• assessments of needs
• placement reviews in line with government guidance
• mental and physical health support 
• education support.

Our team will support all looked after children from the second review (four months from initial assessment) until 18 years old if a plan of permanence is agreed.