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Strategy clinic Two of our regular panellists offer advice to help 16-18-year-olds.

The Challenge

Gaining access to money for those vulnerable young people between 16 and 18 is very difficult unless you're in education, work or recognised training. If you're not and you don't qualify for severe hardship payments you have no access to money at all. This is particularly problematic if you're homeless or a young parent. What can be done to improve this? What support should councils give to young parents, for example? What advice can the panel give?

Kerry Kane, student social worker on placement with NSPCC

PANEL RESPONSES

Anthony Douglas
The key issue for vulnerable 16 to 18 year olds is that they are no longer children and not yet adults. A transition planning approach can be helpful, in which such young people receive a joint assessment by a member of the local children's services network and a member of the adult services network. This can then stand as a benchmark assessment of how a vulnerable young person can be supported as a young adult through a smooth transfer of case responsibility and funding.

Form a network of nominated staff with representatives from the youth offending team, the children and adolescent mental health team (CAMHS), the looked-after children team, the Connexions service, the youth voluntary sector, the homelessness team, the Benefits Agency and the leaving care team. This could be achieved perhaps through a sub-group of the local children's joint commissioning board or its equivalent. Separated children in the UK (unaccompanied asylum seekers) often fall within this age group and need supporting through this network.

Community awareness about the needs of this age group can be increased by establishing youth affairs forums, a youth parliament or by investing in a children's rights officer post and appointing someone who can stage events, recruit mentors, write articles in the local press and be an enthusiastic champion.

A whole council approach matters. For example, counter staff making payments to 16 to 18-year-olds may stereotype them negatively. A training session for all local public sector staff dealing with 16 to 18-year-olds can promote joint working and break down barriers.

Deborah Lightfoot
Undoubtedly there is less assurance about how we deal with vulnerable 16 to 18-year-olds and therefore practical training for all staff that work or come into contact with this age group would be most welcome.

It is sometimes suggested that youth parliaments could act as drivers of change, although I am somewhat sceptical about this. Unfortunately, they are not usually made up of vulnerable young people and therefore may not shed much light on the needs of those who are. Other suggestions, which might include things such as more flexible strategies or improved joint working, while useful, explorable and packed with potential, may in truth be little more than sticking plaster.

Perhaps we have reached a situation that it will only ever really be sorted out through a fundamental change in policy. We could follow the lead of France, for example, where 16 and 17-year-olds are not permitted to claim benefit because they are seen as children. And as such this means that their need for assistance is seen primarily as a welfare issue rather than a subsistence one.

If 16 and 17 year-olds are without family support then they are fundamentally children in need and should be provided with a package of assistance. So much of the law says they are still children. So much of our experience tells us that they are still in need of protection. A substandard benefit safety net simply isn't enough. As with young people leaving care it may be that we will not see a change until responsibility is apportioned absolutely.

Resources

1 Department of Health, Working together: Connexions and Social Services, Stationery Office, 2001

2 Clark, Maryann, and Davis, Transition to Adulthood: A resource for assisting young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties, Paul H Brookes, 2000

3 Mike Stein, What works in leaving care, Barnardo's, 1997