What it means

The term "looked after" means that Merton Social Services have a say about what happens to you. Sometimes people call this being "in care".

Sometimes it means that a court has made a Care Order because it thought you were at risk of harm and it has decided that it would be better for you to live away from home. If you are on a Care Order you may live with a foster carer or in a children's home, or in special circumstances you could still be living at home.

When you are on a Care Order, Social Services will work with your parents to make important decisions about your care, like where you live and where you will go to school, but Social Services will make the final decisions.

Your parents and Social Services will discuss how you should be looked after and Social Services will then write down what has been agreed. This is your Care Plan. If you are old enough to understand it, you can have a copy. There might be times when Social Services may have to make decisions without involving your parents, but only because they need to keep you safe.

You might be looked after but not on a on a Care Order, because your parents have agreed that you should live away from home for a while. If this is the case, only your parents can make decisions about you.