Some children and young people who are looked after have a care order and some don't.
A care order is made by a court when it has decided to give Leeds City Council shared parental responsibility for you with your parents or guardians.
This means that your parents or guardians and our social work teams share legal responsibility for you for as long as the care order is in place.
If you do have a care order:
Your parents or guardians cannot take you home unless the social work team agrees. Your parents or guardians have the right to apply to the court to end the care order.
If you don't have a care order:
There is no care order when your parents or guardians have arranged with a social worker for you to be looked after. This will only be agreed if there is no alternative.
Your parents or guardians may take you home at any time. It is best for this to be planned by talking with your social worker and the people who are looking after you.
Social workers want to make decisions about your life with your help. At times you may disagree with them. They must consider your wishes and feelings, and put your welfare before anything else.