Covid-19: Care leaver 'let down' by Bradford Council

Chloe Gorman says she was left to cope alone during the pandemic

A young care-leaver says she felt abandoned during the coronavirus pandemic after she was left to cope without support from her local council.

Chloe Gorman, 20, said Bradford Council took over a year to replace her social worker, who was off due to sickness.

"I feel let down by them because they are supposed to be there to help, but I've just not received any," she said.

The authority said it was investigating her case and was committed to supporting everyone leaving care.

'Huge difference'

Legislation states that care-leavers are entitled to receive support until the age of 25, including having access to a personal adviser.

Ms Gorman, who first went into care at he age of four, said: "They should be coming out to see me every few weeks, or months, but I haven't had anything.

"Someone to just chat to me and make sure I'm all right.

"It makes a huge difference knowing you have someone on your side."

Mark Douglas, Bradford council's strategic director of children's services, said: "We're really sorry to hear about this young person's experience.

"We are investigating their case file to see where we could have done better and how we could have offered more support."

He said the pandemic had brought about many challenges for young people leaving care, as well as the services which support them.

The authority was committed to "fully supporting everyone who leaves our care and makes the transition into adulthood".

Rebekah Pierre, from the British Association of Social Workers, said demand had increased during the pandemic

Rebekah Pierre, from the British Association of Social Workers, said staff across the country had been overwhelmed during the pandemic.

"There is a huge amount of demand, while at the same time there are fewer social workers on the ground," she said.

"It [already] felt like we were in a crisis, but the pandemic has tipped a crisis into a calamity."

According to a financial report, Bradford Council has struggled to recruit staff for roles in children's social care.

The report shows a sharp increase in reliance on agency workers, rising from 53 in April 2019 to a current figure of 137.

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