Children’s Champion Kerry Sharpe MLC, has issued a stark warning about the state of accommodation for children in care, care leavers, and vulnerable young people.
Mrs Sharpe highlighted the need for more than just physical infrastructure in her annual report which is due to go to Tynwald this month.
Despite progress in some areas, Mrs Sharpe observed persistent issues in semi-independent homes.
She said: “Children are still being forced to move to semi-independent or independent accommodation before they feel ready; this stops anyone feeling ‘at home.’”
The MLC described visiting a property where “wallpaper [was] hanging off the ceiling in places” and one child reported “the house was damp.”
She added: “During 2023-24, St Christopher’s staff at the semi-independent homes have begun to produce two cooked meals per week for
children which children may eat communally if they wish.
“This is encouraging but still isn’t enough to make a semi-independent home feel like a ‘real’ home.”
Not Safe
Mrs Sharpe also revealed the severe inadequacies of available housing for independent living saying one room she saw a picture of “resembled a cell with only room for a single bed and a chest of drawers”.
Instead of staying in this place, the child chose to “remain homeless by sofa-surfing than live in the accommodation provided by St Christopher’s because they did not feel safe”.
She added: “The child did not feel safe using the shower as shower cubicles were in a communal bathroom and most residents in the building were men.”
Lack of Alternatives
Mrs Sharpe’s report criticised the continued use of unsuitable properties by St Christopher’s due to a lack of alternatives.
“St Christopher’s appear reluctant to complain about standards due to fear of alienating the only landlords who will work with them,” she said.
Adding: “Consequently, in my opinion, children are sometimes being placed in unsafe, inappropriate accommodation but no one is voicing this issue.”
The Children’s Champion has recommended that the government needs to identify and plan for a more suitable facility, saying: “It should be obvious that if government takes a child into care then government must care for that child, at all times, in the same way any good parent would care for their own child.”
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