YOUNGSTERS are to be put in the picture about the problems they face on leaving care.

A group of young people armed themselves with a video camera and turned film makers to focus on the issues faced by teenagers living independently for the first time.

The ten youngsters have also produced a guide, in the form of a deck of cards, and a brochure with advice on health, housing, money, education, training and relationships.

Their work is to be a highlight of a conference being held in Middlesbrough.

Helen Sewell, a service development worker with Middlesbrough Council, said: "We think it's tremendously valuable to have material which is aimed at teenagers leaving care, written or produced by young people who have first hand knowledge of what they are experiencing and the issues that are important to them.

"The project has also been really useful in helping young people learn new skills and has uncovered some hidden talents. Young people leaving care are often thought of as under-achievers and this project has shown how wrong that assumption is.''