"Struggling with Cross-Authority Care Responsibilities"

I’m currently facing a really difficult situation trying to coordinate support for a care-experienced young person across two different local authorities. I’m also carrying the full financial burden of being his full-time, unpaid carer, and I feel like I’m falling through the cracks.

The young person I care for is under the formal Aftercare responsibility of West Dunbartonshire Council, where he was last looked after. However, we both permanently live in North Lanarkshire. North Lanarkshire Council has been supportive within their remit, but their ability to lead or offer more comprehensive support is limited because the Aftercare duty still lies with West Dunbartonshire.

This cross-boundary setup has created a number of challenges:

•Communication breakdowns between the Aftercare team in West Dunbartonshire and local services here in North Lanarkshire, such as adult social work, housing support, and mental health services.

•Gaps in support where neither authority seems able to take full responsibility, leading to delays and confusion.

•No holistic assessment that truly looks at both the young person’s needs and mine as a full-time carer, particularly with the added complexity of an upcoming Home Detention Curfew placement.

•Different policies and systems between the two councils, making it hard to figure out what support we’re entitled to—or who’s responsible for providing it.

Financially, I am really struggling. I’m trying to provide a stable and supportive home on a single wage, while receiving no formal recognition or support for my caring role. I worry that if I can’t keep going, the young person would face homelessness or worse, at a much higher cost to public services.

What I’m really hoping for is:

•Independent advocacy that can help me understand my rights as a carer and his entitlements under Aftercare—especially how these apply across local authority boundaries.

•Support to ensure trauma-informed, coordinated assessments (Adult Carer Support Plan and Aftercare Needs Assessment), that reflect our real-life situation and the pressures we’re facing.

•Advice on getting formal recognition of my caring role—possibly through a Supported Lodgings or Supported Carer arrangement—so that I can receive financial and professional support.

•Help improving communication and coordination between both local authorities, so that care isn’t fragmented and the support we need doesn’t fall through the gaps.

Has anyone else been through something similar—trying to navigate Aftercare support across local authorities, especially where justice involvement and carer support are also in the picture? Or does anyone know of an organisation in Scotland that specialises in these kinds of cross-boundary care situations?

Any advice, support, or signposting would mean a lot. Thank you for taking the time to read this.