Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Thank you for your letter and there’s no need to apologise for anything. It’s taken you a lot of courage to decide to contact me.

I can hear how worried you are about what the holidays will be like this year and you’re unsure about what to expect. There are lots of new things for you to get used to, like getting to know the new people that you’re living with.

Moving into care can be unsettling for lots of reasons and you may feel lots of different emotions. It’s important that you can let someone else know how you’re feeling.

Your social worker or an adult at the group home will be used to sorting out the kinds of issues that you’re unsure about. They could also help you change the things that might be making you feel worried or unhappy. You do not mention anything about these people but remember they are there to help and support you.

It’s your right to be able to ask to see your social worker and speak to them on your own.

You should be able to meet with your social worker regularly while you’re in care so that they can check that everything is okay and answer any questions you might have.

If you’re away from your family or living in care, Christmas and the holidays can be really difficult to deal with and we’re here for you. You can speak to a counsellor or talk to other young people on the message boards with similar experiences so that you don’t feel alone or isolated.

There are different ways you can talk to a ChildLine counsellor - either by ringing our free phone number 0800 1111, logging on for a 1-2-1 chat or sending an email.

There’s always someone at ChildLine for you to talk to.

Take care,

Sam