Manchester City Council: Care leaver's life 'put on hold' over passport

Care leaver 'Marcus' lost three job opportunities because he could not prove his identity

A teenage care leaver was unable to get a job after his council failed to apply for a passport for him, a report said.

Manchester City Council has since paid the 18-year-old, known as Marcus, £1,600 for the "avoidable distress".

Marcus, who entered local authority care in 2013, said his life had been "put on hold" because of the council's error, missing out on three vacancies.

His case is one of several highlighted by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman in a critical report.

The watchdog showed several instances in which children had been "let down" by local authorities.

'Most vulnerable'

Careless: Helping to improve council services to children in care looked at the journey of children coming into care and whether they were offered stability in the system.

The report also examined whether appropriate contact arrangements had been made with family members, and how the young people were treated when leaving care.

Marcus said he had lost the job opportunities because he did not have the identity documents he required.

He also said he feared for his residency status in the UK.

The watchdog upheld Marcus's 2018 complaint against Manchester City Council, noting that he was "reliant on the council to safeguard his welfare".

The ombudsman said the council had seven years to provide him with identity documents and a passport.

To date, the issue remains unresolved.

A Manchester City Council spokesman said: "We very much regret any distress our past actions caused to Marcus and fully accept the ombudsman's finding.

"We're in close contact with him and are actively supporting him in his chosen career path to help ensure he has a successful future."

Manchester City Council paid Marcus £1,600 for his "avoidable distress"

In other council areas the report said a teenager was given a tent to live in while a child was denied the chance to say goodbye to his dying mother.

Local government and social care ombudsman Michael King said each case "reflected the real-life experiences of some of the most vulnerable in our society".

The system was under "even more pressure" following the coronavirus pandemic, he said.

The ombudsman said 28% more children were in care in 2019 than a decade earlier.