Care Orders

A “Full Care Order” is a legal instruction by the court to Children, Schools and Families which means that they share parental responsibility for looking after you with your parents.

To make this Order the court will have had to listen to a lot of evidence that says either you have been hurt by the people caring for you, or that they think you may be hurt by them if you carry on living with them.  They take into account four ways in which you might be harmed by your carers, these are; emotionally, sexually, physically or neglect (neglect means you may be harmed by not being looked after properly).  They also have to think about how hurt you have been or may be and they look to see how the harm done to you has affected you, this is called “significant harm”.

Under a Full Care Order, Children, Schools and Families can decide where you are going to live, but don’t become your parents.  Unless there are really serious problems you should still see your parents, family and friends.  Children, Schools and Families cannot change your name, religion or consent to you being adopted.

It is possible to end a Full Care Order by going to court if the reasons it was made have changed.  You would need to see a solicitor to think about this.