Your rights

Everyone has rights and a responsibility to respect the rights of others. Laws such as the Children Acts and the Children and Young Persons Act make sure that you are treated fairly, wherever you are living.

Wirral's promise to looked after children and young people sets out how the council and its partners will support you. They will help to make sure your rights are respected.

Your rights include:

• the right to be helped by the Children and Young People’s Department if you are in need of help or support
• the right to health care
• the right to education
• the right to be protected if you are or have been mistreated or harmed
• the right to see what is written about you
• the right to have contact with family and friends
• the right to be treated fairly by the Children and Young People’s Department
• the right to have your wishes and feelings taken into account
• the right to complain and be given help to sort out your problems.

When you are in care there are rules about how you should be treated.

If you live in a foster home or residential home, you should not be punished in any of the ways listed below:

• stopped from having food or drink
• stopped from seeing or contacting family or friends, or receiving contact from them as punishment
• hit, slapped, pinched, squeezed, shaken, dealt with roughly or have things thrown at you
• stopped from getting in touch with your social worker, solicitor or advocate
• made to wear clothes that would draw unreasonable attention to you
• stopped from having your usual medicines or seeing a doctor or dentist
• deliberately stopped from sleeping