We are delighted to share the following success story from our No Children in Hotels Project, launched in April of this year.

 

BACKGROUND

Keje is an unaccompanied child from Eritrea, who had been assessed as 3 years older than his actual age upon arrival in the UK. He was introduced to us in May 2023 by his solicitor, who was concerned about his mental health and general wellbeing.

Because of the age-dispute, he had been living in an adult hotel for 7 months, during which he never left his room because he was scared of going outside. He initially went through some serious troubles sleeping, caused by aggressive behaviour by other residents in the corridor of the hotel, which kept him up to physically hold the door shut.

During our first meeting with him, we found a safe space to talk about his concerns, needs, and struggles. He confirmed to us the solicitor’s view about his feelings of isolation. In addition to feeling hopeless as a result of being denied his rights as a child, his mental health was further affected by what the social worker said to him during the age-assessment process: “You look older than my son who is 30”.

WHAT DID WE DO?

• Maintained regular contact, either in person or over the phone;
• Held face-to-face individual meetings to monitor safety and provide emotional support;
• Raised his safety concern with the hotel manager who explained that the door locked automatically from the inside, enabling him to finally sleep through the night.
• Introduced him to other age-disputed children in the area, and organised outdoor group activities, including walks, playing frisbee, card and board games;
• Referred him to a youth football club and shared information about free services in the area, as well as spaces to hang-out, such as the local library;
• Maintained regular contact with his solicitor and provided of a witness statement detailing the reasons why we believed him to be a child.

OUTCOMES

The witness statement we issued was crucial to provide new evidence for Keje’s age assessment appeal, together with a witness statement from a another independent social worker. The judicial review was successful and the Local Authority eventually accepted Keje’s age, although this only happened a year after his arrival. By this time, he had already turned 18, but because he was incorrectly assessed as an adult whilst being underage, he is now entitled to leaving care support until he is 25 years old.

Keje’s solicitor said he reported feeling much better after our involvement in his life. The time spent playing games at the local café, acquiring new skills, exchanging ideas, and getting to know the surrounding area together improved his mental wellbeing and self-confidence. When, right after a group activity at the park, he was asked to rate his happiness on a scale from 1 to 5, he said: “Obviously 5!”.

CONCLUSION

Keje’s case shows the importance of early intervention and support for age-disputed children. Keje was very isolated and scared when he first came to us, but with our support and partnership working, he was able to build relationships, improve his well-being, and access the care he needed. Keje is now living in supported accommodation for young people, where he has a personal adviser and a care plan, a periodic assessment of his needs, and regular visits from children services. We are delighted that we were able to make a positive and long-lasting difference in his life. Keje’s new found safety and happiness is what gives us the strength and motivation to keep standing alongside unaccompanied age-disputed children and advocating for their rights.

Read more about the project here, and support our work here.