Children's champion calls for investment in services for vulnerable

Kerry Sharpe made four recommendations to improve children's services

The Isle of Man children's champion has called on Tynwald to invest more in services to help young people in care.

It comes after politicians last month debated a recent Ofsted report that was critical of Manx children's services.

Kerry Sharpe also called for the age children leave care to rise from 18 to 26, but an amendment on making that needs tested instead divided opinion.

A combined vote on that issue will now be held next month, stalling further voting on the report until then.

While the majority of members of the House of Keys supported Health Minister Lawrie Hooper's amendment, which would see the age for leaving care based on "identified need", it was voted down by the Legislative Council.

In response, Mr Hooper called for a combined vote of both branches at the January sitting of Tynwald, when the remaining parts of the motion will also be voted on.

'Maximum capacity'

Ms Sharpe had argued the age of 26 was based on the average age children leave home in the UK plus an additional year, and advice from industry professionals.

Supporting Mr Hooper's amendment, David Ashford MHK said people who stayed in care for that long could risk remaining in a "bubble of support", delaying the "dreaded day" of entering the community, which could make the transition "even harder".

Children's champion Ms Sharpe had made four recommendations to improve care for young people on the island, which she said had the highest percentage of children in care in Britain.

She said 40% of children lived in residential care, compared to 14% in the UK, 6% in Northern Ireland, 10% in Scotland and 7% in Wales, according to UK children's charity NSPCC.

In order to reverse that, she said foster care should to be given priority over residential home placements.

She said care homes were at "maximum capacity", leading to children being placed in inappropriate accommodation, and called on health department to make a "costed plan" to improve this by the end of April.

Other recommendations included improving respite facilities for parents of children with complex needs and implementing the Adoption Act 2021 by July.

"Let's invest in our vulnerable children when they most need our help," Ms Shape said.

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