Leaving Care

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I LEAVE CARE?

You are entitled (by law) to leaving care services if:

You have been ‘looked after’ for 13 weeks and are in care on or after your 16th birthday

Leaving care can be an exciting, but also a worrying time, it is our responsibility to help prepare you for adulthood and be there to support you.

We believe that preparation for adulthood starts much earlier than your teenage years, so your carers should be encouraging you to get involved in some household chores, learn to manage some of your money, help to prepare food and choose your own clothes; all this will help you to learn important life skills.

WHAT SUPPORT WILL I GET?

Just before your 16th birthday, you will be allocated a personal advisor (PA) who work along side your social worker to support you and help prepare you for independence. They will continue to work with you after your 18th birthday until you are 21 or 25 if you need them to. There role is to make sure that you get the right help and support agreed in your Pathway Plan and be your go to person as and when you need them.

Your PA will talk to you about your options and help you to make plans when everyone including yourself, agrees that you are ready to move on.

Your Personal Advisor will also give you a copy of The Care Leaver Offer, this will give you lots of information about what support you will get and who else can help you.

Make sure you ask them for a copy!

WE WILL ALWAYS BE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU

Your social worker, IRO, PA, senior managers and elected members have taken responsibility for your care as a child so it is important that you know that turning 18 does not stop us 'caring' about you.

You can come back and talk to us, ask for support, advice and anything else you may need. We will always be ready to listen and help you out. 

If you are looking to return to education or training between the ages of 21 and 25 you can contact us to discuss your situation. You can request financial and practical support to enable you to do this.

USEFUL INFORMATION

You can find lots of information about the support you will recieive from us in The Care Leavers Offer this is 

Our Offer to you as one of our young people!

Check out The Care Leavers Charter - this was produced by young people. The government is asking all Local Authorities to take notice of it's content, and to talk to the Children In Care Council about the needs of young people when they leave care, to ensure they get the support and assistance they require. 

The Care Leavers Association is a charity run by care leavers - for care leavers. Their aim is to bring together and represent the voices and opinions of care leavers of all ages. This is to make sure that we improve the current care system, improve quality of life and assist in changing society’s perception of people who have been in care as children to a positive. 

If you have any questions or would like to Speak to us about anything else please do get in touch.