‘They are not being given the skills that they

CHILDREN in care are twice as likely to be convicted of a crime as other children in Greater Manchester, an investigation has revealed.

Figures obtained from the Department for Education (DfE) reveal the scale of social challenges children are faced with during and beyond living in care.

Our investigation also reveals that one in three children in care were found to have possible emotional and behavioural problems. This often escalates to problems further down the line in their adult lives, according to a care leavers organisation.

In some parts of the region, nearly one in 10 have a drug or alcohol problem.

Care charity chiefs say such outcomes are usually the product of both a child’s troubled background, and the experience of being in care itself.

Natasha Finlayson, chief executive of Become, a national charity for children in care and young care leavers, said: “Every child in care has experienced childhood trauma, such as abuse or neglect within their family, extreme family dysfunction, or parental substance abuse.

“What you see is that the care system works to keep children safe, and takes them away from that environment, but it doesn’t give them the emotional support that they need to deal with that trauma.

“In fact, the care system compounds that trauma by repeatedly moving these children around between placements.”

Around 4pc of children in care in Greater Manchester were convicted or cautioned for a crime in one year.

In comparison, 2pc of all children in the region were proven to have committed an offence over the course of 12 months.

The gap seen in some parts of Greater Manchester is even wider than the one seen regionally.

In Tameside 9pc of children in care were convicted of or cautioned for a crime, while just 2pc of all children were proven to have committed an offence.

In Oldham and Salford the figure is 6pc for children in care and just 2pc for all children in these areas.

Experts argue that the higher conviction rate for children in care does not mean that these children are more likely to actually commit a crime - they’re just more likely to be reported to police.

Beth Murray, director of Catch22 - a national charity that works with care leavers and young offenders - said: “Children in care in Greater Manchester are not twice as likely to commit a crime, but they may well be twice as likely to be reported for one.

“A child that breaks a window in their family home might expect to be grounded, or have their pocket money docked.

“A child in a children’s home could see this reported to the police as damage to property.

“Once a child is on the police radar, any further incidents are dealt with more severely.”

In fact, figures from the Care Leavers Association suggest one in every four adults in prison have spent time in care.

Young adults who have been in care can also struggle once they leave the system.

Carrie Wilson, young people’s project coordinator at the Care Leavers Association, said: “Children in care aren’t being prepared for real life, and they’re not being given the skills they need to survive once they leave care.

“Even in cases where a care leaver has had some preparation for the real world, problems with mental health and a lack of ability to deal with these issues stops them being able to use these skills.”

Government figures