Sam's story

Statistics and policy documents not your thing? Here's a realistic look at two possible routes through the care system as it stands today. Taking both journeys is seven year old Sam.

Sam's journey

Sam is taken into care aged 7, after his mother's drug and alcohol problem mean that it's impossible for her to to care for him and his sister. He has problems at school too and is disruptive in class. His social worker suspects he may have ADHD, but she leaves her job and the issue isn't followed up by the local authority. He's placed in a couple of foster care situations, but his carers find him too difficult to look after and he is eventually sent to a children's home age 10. He rarely sees his sister who has been placed with foster carers far away from where he now lives. At the care home, a 'zero tolerance' approach to bad behaviour means that he's quickly in trouble. The rules mean that care home workers repeatedly report him to the police for small infringements. When he's picked up for shoplifting a few years later, his bad care home record means that he gets a sentence and a criminal record. He's also failing at school, and when he finally leaves with one GCSE he's at the 'back of the queue' for employment: he gets by on benefits and petty crime.

As he leaves care, he can't remember any single adult who has stuck by him, or who he trusts. Instinctive self-protection means he's careful not to get too close to anyone else. Age 19, his string of petty offences finally lead to a prison sentence in an adult jail. Here at last he fits in: 23% of the prison population have a background in the care system. They accept him for who he is and Sam finally feels he belongs somewhere. The chances that he'll reoffend and stay in the criminal justice system are at least 93%.

Be kind, rewind....

Sam is taken into care aged 7, after his mother's drug and alcohol problem mean that it's impossible for her to care for him and his sister. He's having trouble at school too, acting hyperactively in class. His social worker suspects ADHD, as does his teacher. There's an assessment of his needs by the local authority, who make sure he gets the extra help he needs to learn at school. Meanwhile social workers are showing his mother how to find help for addiction. There's occasional contact with her and his sister, which makes Sam feel that his family hasn't disappeared forever. After careful thought, he's placed with a foster carer who has received extra help to cope with children with ADHD. Life's not perfect, but adults understand that Sam's not a bad person, he just needs help staying calm and acting constructively. Over the next couple of years, he begins to thrive at school, showing an interest in science and games. Aged 14, he returns to live with his mum, who is now much better. He gets good GCSEs and - with much encouragement from his teachers - decides to go to college to get a BTEC in information technology.

Which route did he take?

As the current system stands, neither of these outcomes are particularly surprising. Both can take place, quite legally, in the current tight framework of laws. The first disastrous scenario is largely driven by local councils who can't find staff, are overstretched and are trying to save money. Ironically, in taking this path, Sam is likely to end up costing the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds, as well as being very unhappy himself. Research shows that if he is helped to take the second path, he's likely to be at the beginning of a useful, productive, happy life. Everybody wins.