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with as being hostile. Nor did they understand why
it would not support her until she obtained med-
they were being moved to different types of accom-
ical confirmation of her age and the Immigration
modation and being asked to meet with a number
and Nationality Directorate accepted that she was
of different people from different agencies. When
a minor. She commented, “Social services treated
they were brought back for a screening interview at
me like a dog — they didn’t ask me any questions
the end of the process, they did not understand the
at the beginning because they wouldn’t bother
role the social worker played in that interview. The
with it because the Home Office said I was not
seven day assessment was clearly rigorous and led
under 18. They just told me to go away. I was so
to social workers concluding in 9 of the 39 cases that
sad. They need to treat people as humans and
the individual in question was an adult.
give them food and shelter.” 29
There was also a surprisingly high rate of
absconding of 20% amongst those who were referred
“There is still significant ignorance amongst social
for the seven day assessment as opposed to 8% of
services departments about the procedures to
those who were not referred. This may well have
adopt when a child has been age disputed by the
reflected the fact that the children did not under-
Immigration and Nationality Directorate. Many still
stand the process they were being put through and
think they have to accept its view. The pro-forma
perceived it to be negative. 28 However, since 2003,
can also be used in a poor way by inexperienced
Kent Social Services has introduced a large amount
social workers. Generally the skills involved in
of positive measures to improve its ability to conduct
assessing age [accurately] are very thin on the
these age assessments and also to provide appropri-
ground within most social services departments.” 30
ate services for the large number of unaccompanied
or separated children it now accommodates. Its age
Age assessments carried out by local authorities are
assessment procedures are now better understood
merely a part of the wider assessment required as a
by the children involved and the rate of absconding
result of their duty under section 17 of the Children
has dropped.
Act 1989 to safeguard and promote the welfare of
SEEKING ASYLUM ALONE | UNITED KINGDOM
60
5.3 Local Authority Age Assessment
There was less agreement amongst unaccompanied
or separated children and their
legal representatives about the accuracy of
age assessments carried out by some other local
authorities.
“L” was a female asylum seeker from Guinea who
fled after being imprisoned and tortured with her
mother and brother on account of her father’s
political activities. The Asylum Screening Unit disputed
her age and her local authority told her that
any child in their geographic area. The local authority
discloses the part of its assessment related to the
age dispute to the Immigration and Nationality
Directorate if and only if its age assessment would
necessitate the revoking of any leave previously
granted to the age disputed unaccompanied or separated
child by the Immigration and Nationality
Directorate. 31 An age assessment is sometimes carried
out even if the Immigration and Nationality
Directorate has accepted that the person is a minor
and on occasion local authorities have subsequently
decided that the person was in fact an adult and
informed the Immigration and Nationality Directorate
that it had made a mistake. The situation is
further complicated by the fact that unaccompanied
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