This page is about your rights as a young person in care.

Here in Cambridgeshire, we've been discussing ten "promises" to children and young people in care locally. You can read these here.

Our main promise to you is this - we want children in our care to get all the benefits that every good parent would want for their own children. We want to make sure that :

• you're healthy, safe and happy
• you get the education and training you need
• you enjoy your leisure time and celebrate your culture
you contribute to society
• you're properly set up for adult life when you leave care

Our young people in care have asked us to stop promising and start doing. You've asked us to concentrate on the following things:

• Most of all you wanted us to do more to stop children coming into care, by working with other agencies to ensure that children benefit from all services.
• You want to see care and respect for all young people at all times when in care
• You want fewer moves and for us to listen to young people more.
• You ask that we check foster parents before you're placed with them and give you a chance to meet them first.
• You want us always to make sure that you have a say about your care plan, and about where you would like to stay after you are 18 years old.
• You ask that we make sure you have the right resources, whether you choose to go on to university or college, or to do something else.
• You'd like us to set up more supported lodgings so that young people who are in children's homes have a safe place to live when they leave care.

As a looked after young person you have the right to expect all these things from us.

If you feel these things are not happening for you please use the Contact form, or contact

• your social worker,
• your social worker's manager,
• your advocate,
• the Complaints Manager,
• Martin Curtis (see the contact form)