Out of County Placements

Most of the children and young people who are “looked after" stay living inside Hertfordshire.  A tiny number of children or young people may be found a place to live that it is outside this county.

The reason that children or young people go to live outside this county is because they have very special needs and a place that meets these needs cannot be found here in Hertfordshire.  “Out of county placements” include special foster placements and special boarding schools or therapeutic communities where young people can be helped with emotional problems and problems about their behaviour.

Children and young people are never sent to “out of county placements" as a punishment, but only because adults involved in caring for them think that a particular school or community is the very best place for them to be. It may also be that there just aren’t enough placements within Hertfordshire at a particular time.

If you have been told that Children, Schools and Families are looking for a special placement for you that might be away from Hertfordshire, ask your social worker or carer to explain what sort of place they think you might go to.  You should always be able to visit any placement before you go but sometimes young people are placed out of county in an emergency.  If this happens the social worker involved will make every effort to tell you as much as possible about the place that has been found for you.  Your social worker will stay in touch and will visit you very soon after you have been moved.

Talk to an advocate if you are worried that you may be sent out of Hertfordshire or if you think that this is the wrong thing for you.