Our offer to care leavers

Am I a care leaver?

The leaving care service works with young people leaving care aged 16 to 25. All young people who are eligible for a service are entitled to support up to the age of 25 regardless of their circumstances.

See the Coram website to see if you are a care leaver

If you’re not sure whether the offer applies to you, or if there is anything else in this guide that you don't understand, speak to your social worker or leaving care worker (Barnardo's).

If you don’t have a social worker or leaving care worker, get in touch with the leaving care team and they will be able to let you know whether the offer applies to you.

If you’ve had a leaving care worker in the past and would like some support from the leaving care team again, please get back in touch by phone or email.

From 16, your social worker will introduce you to a leaving care worker. They will start to build a relationship with you and get to know you before they start supporting you at 18.

At 21 you step forward to a less intensive service. You might choose not to be involved with us any more, but we will still keep in touch with you via a newsletter. However, you are still fully entitled to come to us at any time and access support offering information, advice and guidance from the leaving care service up to the age of 25. If you need more intensive support we can offer a named leaving care worker to support you with this.

To better meet all your individual needs, we have worked with other organisations who provide services and support, including housing providers, education, health services and community organisations to make sure you know what our offer is.

We work with other partner organisations to provide the services and support outlined in our core offer, including:

housing providers
schools, colleges and universities
businesses
voluntary and community organisations

What does this mean for me?

Your rights checklist:

By law, you should:

be supported with decisions about your life
get support and advice until your 25th birthday
have a pathway plan detailing your goals for the future
be able to access to any information we may hold about you
be listened to and supported in where you decide to live
know who we will share your information with
have support to find and access housing
get support to access education and help to find employment and apprenticeships

For more information about what you are entitled to, visit GOV.uk.

If you did not have a Lincolnshire social worker whilst you were in care, please contact the area your social worker was from to find out what their offer to you is.

Our promise to you

we will respect and honour your identity
believe in you, take your views into account and never give up on you
discuss your needs with you and listen to your views
give you the information you need in every aspect of life, including opportunities and rights
support you with your needs and the decisions you have to make
enhance your life skills to help you find and manage a home
listen to you and be available when possible
we want your views on what we do

If you have special educational needs or disabilities

View our Local Offer. It describes the help you can expect in your local area.

If you are pregnant or a parent

Your leaving care worker will work with you alongside other agencies (including health visitors and social workers) and can provide help, advice, and support.

As an expectant parent Lincolnshire children’s services will give you extra money to care for your child, for example, to purchase key items for their baby. (You can only claim this if you are under 21)

We’re keen to support new dads as well as new mums, so please reach out and speak to your leaving care worker.

If you are in custody

We continue to offer a service for you up to the age of 25.

Depending on your circumstances, you can be visited by your leaving care worker whilst in custody.

If you are in prison, leaving care staff can visit at any professional visiting time, so there is no need to use a visiting order. You can also put the leaving care service (01522 575955) on your PIN list so you can stay in touch.

During your time in custody, we can help you to have contact with family members. We will also help you establish what is available within the provision in relation to education, training or employment.

If you are nearing the end of a sentence (or remand) we will work with the prison and probation service to offer you advice and guidance in relation to housing, education and employment options on your release.

Our offer to you over 21

When you get to 21 the type of service you get from us may change. We want you to become more independent and start managing day to day life with less support from us.

You will be offered an updated pathway plan, and will be invited to step forward to an advice and guidance service. This is about the right decision at the right time for you. It is never an automatic more to new services. When you do move, you will still get support from the leaving care service if you want, but this may not be your previous-named worker. We will keep in touch at regular intervals, and send you newsletters to make sure you know what is on offer for you.

What happens if I need you?

Once you are 21, if you find you need more support or are having problems, get in touch. You will know the name of your key contact, so don't be afraid to come back for advice and care.

If you are still in education

If you are in higher education or on a care leavers apprenticeship you will remain with your named leaving care worker, but the contact will reduce.

Don't forget...

you can access your new homes grant up to the age of 25
all our district councils offer council tax relief to care leavers up to the age of 25
most of our district councils offer free access to leisure facilities
our partners in the NHS have agreed that all care leavers from Lincolnshire can access free prescriptions up to 25

Have your say

We want to hear what you have to say so that we can improve our support and services.

There are several participation groups you can get involved with. All involvement is free and will help boost your CV and give valuable things to speak about at interviews. Additionally, there are other rewards through the various activities and away days

Lincolnshire Young Voices is a forum for young people and young adults (14-25) with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Their motto is ‘together our voices make a difference’. The group is lead by two co-chairs and there is further information and a short video on the page
Young Inspectors programme where young people plan and inspect services and complete reports to feedback to managers on their findings. They also do lots of engagement work with professionals in the local authority and its partners.
Voices4Choices is Lincolnshire’s children in care council – a council for young people aged 11 to 18 years, who are in the care of the local authority. It represents children and young people's views to corporate parents and Children’s Services teams and works on projects related to being in care.
participation with Barnardo’s – Barnardo’s run many participation events including trips, social events. We will support in influencing national decisions (including visiting London), cooking skills classes and events which aim to gather you views and voice. You can contact Holly Byrne at Barnardo's for more information, or call 01522 575955 and ask to speak to a member of the participation team.

If you want to get involved, speak with your leaving care worker.

How to deal with a problem or make a complaint

We know it's not always easy to speak out. However, it's your right to say how you feel about things that affect you and to be heard. You could try talking to:

your social worker
your leaving care worker
someone who looks after you

If you wish to make a complaint or compliment someone, call us on 01522 575955 and ask to talk to the leaving care service manager.

If you have spoken to the leaving care service manager, but you are still not happy, contact the National Youth Advocacy Service

Homes and accommodation

There are many choices you could make about where to live. Your leaving care worker will work with you and your accomodation provider to support you.

Options available to you

If you are under 18, we must pay for your housing and make sure it is suitable.

A move to independent living can be a big step so we can give you options, such as:

returning home for a short time
remaining with a foster carer
moving to supported lodgings
a supported living option

Once you are over 18 you are responsible for paying for your housing. However, we will support you:

if you remain in higher education, we will pay for accommodation during holidays
we will maintain a plan of support with you and make sure accommodation and your housing is a priority
if you get into difficulty we will support you in negotiating agreements with housing providers to keep your accommodation and agree a positive way forward
if you cannot afford the difference (rent gap) between rent and your earnings, you can apply for rent gap funding from the leaving care service to support you

We will help fund all former relevent care leavers set up home. You can access this up to the age of 25. Discuss this with the leaving care service.

Living in supported lodgings:

Supported lodgings gives you the chance to live in a home with a supportive adult or family. You can do this from age 16 to 21. They should:

have great communication skills
offer a safe and friendly environment
be able to relate to you
be supportive of your needs
be open-minded and approachable
provide an individual room and use of shared facilities along with a house key
involve you in day-to-day tasks

Staying with your foster parents:

A staying put arrangement is not the same as a foster placement. It is where you can remain with your former foster carers after your 18 birthday. You can stay until you are 21.
We will discuss staying put as an option. We will expect you to:

be in education, employment or training
contribute towards your living costs
pay for your clothes, travel costs and spending money
create a living together agreement, saying what is expected from both of you
have to have a DBS check, if your former foster carer is looking after other children in the same household
claim any benefits you are entitled to

Whatever you decide, your leaving care worker can provide support with:

becoming a high-priority applicant on housing waiting lists
advice about tenancy, budgeting and avoiding rent arrears
helping you to claim the benefits you are entitled to
moving into and furnishing your home
having nowhere to live
setting up your utility bills, such as installing key card meters

NEST accommodation

We commission Nacro Education Support and Transition (NEST) to provide accommodation for homeless young people aged 16 and 17 year olds and care leavers up to 21.

They operate across the seven district councils in Lincolnshire and supports young people and single parents.

The team will create support package with you to provide options and opportunities.

There are different types of accommodation available, such as:

shared flats
shared houses
individual self-contained flats

When the time comes we will support you to move on to your next home.

Shared lives

The shared lives scheme is sometimes known as adult placement. It enables you to stay with a family you have been matched with to help you:

find independence
learn skills to live independently
enjoy life as part of a family and make new friends
join in with the family’s community
have a safe place to help you get ready to move into your own home

Shared lives carers are ordinary people who have been trained and DBS checked. Shared lives can be accessed from 16 years old.

Find out about shared lives schemes or visit the adult supporting adults website

Homelessness

Homelessness prevention for 16 to 25-year-olds

We work with district councils to support to young people.

As long as it is safe, you are generally better off living at home or within your family and planning when to move.

Homelessness at a young age should be avoided wherever possible. This includes leaving home in an unplanned way with nowhere to go.

Living alone at an early age can be lonely and stressful. Plan ahead and do not leave in a hurry and make sure you seek support.

Lincolnshire care leavers homeless prevention (CLHP) provides support to children in care and care leavers aged 18 to 25 across Lincolnshire to find and maintain suitable housing.

They operate across all districts in Lincolnshire.

The team focus on exploring opportunities and ensuring earlier accommodation planning for those who have left care, or are leaving care, and require support to sustain their accommodation or to find suitable accommodation.

Lincolnshire CLHP is open to all Lincolnshire children in care and care leavers who are homeless or in unsuitable accommodation, or those who require some housing related support to maintain their accommodation.

Referrals and applications should be made via telephone or email.

If you are homeless or immediately struggling, then contact Lincolnshire homeless prevention team on 01522 565978 or speak to your leaving care worker 01522 575955

Finding accommodation

If you are under 18 and find yourself in difficulty and homeless, district councils will ensure you are safely supported.

Housing team contacts

District council	Contact details
Boston Housing Options Team	Email: housing.dept@boston.gov.uk Call: 01205 314200
East Lindsey Housing Advice Team	Email: housing.hub@e-lindsey.gov.uk Call: 01507 613135
City of Lincoln Housing Solutions Team	Email: housingsolutions@lincoln.gov.uk Call: 01522 873777
North Kesteven Housing Options Team	Email: housingoptions@n-kesteven.gov.uk Call: 01529 414155
South Holland Housing Options Team	Email: housingoptions@sholland.gov.uk Call: 01775 761161
South Kesteven Housing Solutions Team	Email: housingsolutions@southkesteven.gov.uk Call: 01476 40608
West Lindsey Home Choices Team	Email: home.choices@west-lindsey.gov.uk Call: 01427 676676

You should get legal advice if the council:

refuses to take a homelessness application
offers housing that you feel is not suitable
make you intentionally homeless. Speak to your leaving care worker or social worker, as there is an agreement with all councils that no care leaver will be considered intentionally homeless without a multi agency meeting and your support network. Do not let anyone say you are intentionally homeless

Here is a protocol about how we are all working together to support you

Do not refuse any housing that you are offered until you have spoken to your leaving care worker

Managing your money

We know that managing your money can be challenging, so we will help you to:

access financial advice via Citizens Advice or the Money Advice Centre
open a bank account
get identification - provisional driving licence or a passport
claim benefits
get your national insurance number if you don’t have or know it
deal with any emergencies - we are here to help if you get into difficulty
if you are eligible, we will set up your home grant for purchasing items, such as furniture or decorating
access grants, discounts and funding that you are eligible for
manage health costs, such as dental care or glasses. If you are struggling, please speak to your leaving care worker as we can help you.
you are entitled to free prescriptions up to the age of 25. Visit this site for more details and to apply directly or speak to your leaving care worker who will support you applying and getting access to the scheme.
access council tax relief, across Lincolnshire care leavers are exempt from paying council tax until the age of 25

Depending on your situation, you may be entitled to:

You will have a Child Trust Fund or Junior ISA bank account from when you were in care. It is money paid in by the Government and us.

You can access it when you turn 18 and either:

leave it where it is
take it out
transfer it to another bank account

Your social worker or leaving care worker can tell you more about how to access your account.

Universal credit and benefits

Lincolnshire has an agreement in place with the Department for Work and Pensions. We will jointly aim to support you to access the benefits you might need whilst you seek employment or training. We will also aim to make sure no care leavers face sanctions. There is a protocol in place, if you want to know more, speak to your leaving care worker.

Rent gap

If you are a young person who has left the care of Lincolnshire County Council and you are struggling to cover the gap between your income and the cost of rent and supported living, speak to your leaving care worker as help may be available. You may be eligible for a short period of discretionary additional funding to help meet you the costs of living in supported housing. Speak to your leaving care worker for more information.

Acting as a guarantor

Your district council may be able to act as a guarantor, speak to your leaving care worker about this and we will explore it with you.

Supporting at college or other education programmes

We will help you receive the financial support you are entitled to at school or college. Depending on your age, type of course and other circumstances, we will help with:

registration and exam fees
textbooks and software specified as essential
activities essential to meet course requirements
public transport between home and place of learning
transport to open days and interviews
specific clothing, such as for interview or course equipment

If you are 18 or 19 and in full-time education, you may be entitled to the 16 to 19 bursary fund. Care leavers are a priority group for this funding.

If you are 20 or over, we can help you to explore other funding options available to you.

Supporting you at university

Your leaving care worker will help you to apply and prepare for university. We will continue to support you throughout your course if you wish.

We can work with you to ensure you have accommodation, transport, equipment and financial support. We can also help you to apply for any care leaver grants or bursaries that may be available to you at your university.

Supporting you whilst finding a job

If you are actively looking for work, you can get free broadband and unlimited data

Further help

You will get a small monetary gift for your birthday and your main religious festival.

Young parents may be entitled to help with childcare costs.

See our leaving care and looked after children finance handbook for more in depth details

Work and learning

We will work with you to access learning and workplace opportunities, such as:

college or university
work experience
apprenticeships
job opportunities

We will help you receive any extra help you require if you have special educational needs or disabilities.

Aspire 2 is a learning service where you can do training and development

Careers advice

When you start thinking about work, we will help you access careers advice through your leaving care education, employment and training (EET) worker, college, university or higher education setting.

This may include:

helping you to develop your CV
highlighting courses and training to build your skills
helping you find a job
advising about job interviews and employment processes
providing a reference

Work experience

Work experience provides opportunities for learning about the skills, behaviours, careers, roles and structures within a workplace.

If you are interested in work experience, speak with your leaving care worker.

Success in six

The EET team offers a work experience programme for young people who have not achieved grade 4 maths and english

young people will attend an identified workplace for a period of six weeks (negotiated with the host employer that increases over the six week period) with the intention of them being offered permanent employment at the end
you will receive a daily amount during the six week trial. This would be paid on top of whatever other monies they normally receive
pay would be in voucher form to a shop or service of your choice
we have worked with DWP and you will not have any claims suspended or reduced during your time with us on success in six, this is unless you are being paid by the employer during the six week period

Apprenticeships

An apprenticeship is a job combined with a skills development and training programme. We will support you to access and apply for an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships vary in length and entry requirements depending upon the area. You must have grade 4 maths and english GCSE to start an apprenticeship

They are an excellent opportunity to develop your skills whilst earning some money. For current apprenticeship details see the gov.uk website.

Care Leavers' Apprenticeship Scheme

The care leavers' apprenticeship scheme (CLAS) is tailor-made to employ looked after children and care leavers aged 16 to 21.

You may work in the local authority, or work in sectors ranging from forestry to joinery, motor vehicle mechanics, animal care, elderly care, plumbing, ICT, hairdressing, hospitality and other vocational areas.

If you want to do business administration, you will usually work with us. Speak to your leaving care worker for more information.

All include studying one day a week, plus extra maths and english if you don't have at least a grade 4 at GCSE.

Entry requirements

to qualify, you need to be our legal responsibility (taken into care by us)
you must do the work preparation programme. It is a two-day course followed by up to 13 weeks of work experience. All work experience and CLAS placements are tailor-made to meet your needs
the apprenticeship through CLAS is dependent upon successful completion of work experience, including at least 95 per cent attendance.

Barnardo's Lincolnshire leaving care service manage the scheme.

Are you thinking of going to college?

If you would like to go to college, your leaving care worker will support you in choosing the right course.

Many local colleges provide extra support to care leavers.

To find out more, visit our webpage about local colleges.

If you would like any support accessing and attending open days, interviews or help with your applications, speak with your leaving care worker

Are you thinking of going to university?

If you would like to apply to go to university, we help you to:

find a course that is right for you
secure suitable accommodation, including during holiday periods
get you and your belongings to and from university
access financial support, loans and bursaries
buy equipment that you may need (such as books and a laptop)

Many universities provide additional support to care leavers. It's worth searching their websites or contacting the student support service of the ones you are interested in to find out what they offer.

Health and wellbeing

Looking after yourself is essential. We want to give you all the support you need. We want you to be as physically, mentally and emotionally healthy as possible.

Accessing services

Your leaving care worker can help you with:

the leaving care service in Lincolnshire has a dedicated wellbeing and mental health worker in the team. Contact your leaving care worker if you want more details.
if you have additional needs sometimes we can help you access support through adult social care
healthy living advice, such as quitting smoking, support for reducing drug and alcohol use and healthy eating
information about free prescriptions
registering with a local GP, dentist and optician
your move from CAMHS to adult mental health services
transport costs when attending health appointments
your understanding of health information from your childhood (for example, your immunisations)
your current health needs are detailed in a document called your ‘health summary’. For all children in care aged 14-18, each health assessment must show your plans for moving into adulthood.
your health summary will be provided to you at 18 by the health teams. We recommend you share this with your leaving care worker so they can keep a copy safe for you.
if you are struggling to cover medical costs such as dentistry or eye tests, speak to your leaving care worker. We want your health to be the best it can be so we may be able to assist with meeting the cost of examinations or treatment.

As a partner of Lincolnshire County Council, West Lindsey, Lincoln City, North Kesteven, South Kesteven are now offering free access to health and leisure facilities for care leavers from 16 up to the age of 21. Speak to your leaving care worker to apply

Mental health

To find support for children, young people and their families experiencing mental health difficulties, visit the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) website
For free, safe and anonymous online support, visit the Kooth website
Night Light Cafés are safe spaces that offer an out-of-hours, non-clinical support service and are staffed by teams of trained volunteers who are available to listen. They can also provide signposting advice and information on other organisations that may be able to help with specific needs, such as debt advice or emergency food parcels.
How Are You (H.A.Y.) Lincolnshire is a family of websites that bring together everything in the local community that boosts wellbeing, H.A.Y. is all about helping you look after you. The websites provide not just listings of local activities, groups and services but also video introductions to group organisers and taster clips of what to expect. H.A.Y. aims to support you both finding out what you might like to get involved in and in taking those first steps.
Shine Lincolnshire to support people with poor mental health
Every Mind Matters ways to lift your mood and anxiety, looks at the little things you can do to boost your mood
Steps 2 change - Lincolnshire talking therapies
if you want to speak to your leaving care worker about your health, or how your mental health is affecting you, make sure you contact us as we are here to assist and to listen to you

NHS advice

For information about everything from the common cold to symptoms of sexually transmitted infections, visit the NHS website
Get advice to help you make the best choices about your general health and wellbeing
you are entitled to free prescriptions up to the age of 25. Visit this site for more details and to apply directly or speak to your leaving care worker who will support you applying and getting access to the scheme
For advice about sexual health and contraception, visit the Lincolnshire Sexual Health website

The Local Offer

To find services and events for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities and their families, visit our Local Offer.

Drug and alcohol

Get free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs, or mental health from We Are With You.

Family and relationships

Positive and supportive relationships with family, friends and others can lead to living a happy, safe and successful life. We will support you to have a safe and robust support network around you.

Help create a support network

Your leaving care worker can help you to:

contact people who are special to you
contact people who cared for you in the past
support you to re-connect with family, where it's a positive step
develop healthy relationships with friends and family

Understanding your life history

If and when you want to, we will help you understand your time in care and your life history, including your case files.

We can include support to trace your family, if needed, and support with emotions.

Speak to your leaving care worker if you would like to look at this through the access to records team.

Personal relationship support

If you are in relationships that are difficult or making you unhappy, your leaving care worker can offer support. They will:

respect your gender and sexual identity
help you access support for your sexual and gender identity needs
help you to challenge discrimination as a care-experienced adult

For further advice and support, visit the Lincolnshire Sexual Health website.

Life links

Life Links in Lincolnshire offers all our young people a lifetime of support from the people you choose. Life Links is a strand of support offered to all our looked after young people and care leavers. The support is accessed through the Family Group Conference Service and can be sourced up to the age of 25 years. If you or your leaving care worker think you might benefit, please do not hesitate to speak to the life links team and we will allocate a supporter to you to develop or rebuild your friend or family network. Reconnecting to people on your own can be daunting, but with support it might just be that bit easier.

If you are a parent

Your leaving care worker can help you find support if you are pregnant or have a young child.

To find parenting groups and other support for young families with children under 5, visit our children's centres.

Get involved

We want you to feel part of the community you live in and wider society. We will support you to have the same opportunities that other young people do.

We will celebrate important life events with you, such as:

your birthday
religious events
cultural events

We will help you to maintain or explore your faith and ethnicity networks.

To find out about different activities, look at the Visit Lincoln website. There is information on social media sites such as Facebook too.

Leaving care participation

We aim to:

connect with young people to hear their voice
promote better ways of working and service development

They are setting up a peer network, where young people can share their experiences and offer advice and guidance to others. It will include groups of representatives for their local area and advocates for:

housing
education
LGBT
different ethnicities
young parents

It will operate from a digital platform where information can be shared and communicated, also including forums.

For more information, call Barnados on 01522 575955.

Volunteering

Volunteering is a great way to get out of the house, try new things, and build your confidence and skills. It not only raises your self-esteem but also helps you get into work.

New skills gained like communication, teamwork and decision-making can make you stand out from the crowd when applying for a college or job.

To find out about volunteering opportunities, contact your local community and voluntary service:

Another way of getting into volunteering is through the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. You get to experience a range of new activities and challenges, learn new skills and travel to new places with other young people.

Speak to your leaving care worker about this.

If you are a parent

To find out about different activities for children and families across Lincolnshire, visit our Family Services Directory.

Unaccompanied asylum seeking young people

Care-experienced young people with immigration or asylum status are urged to seek specialist advice, such as:

Important words and what they mean

Claim asylum in the UK

As a young person in the country with no adult to supervise and care for you, you may become a child in care.

If you are a child in care for more than 13 weeks after the age of 16, you will become a care leaver and have a leaving care worker.

It may be extra challenging for you as English may not be your first language, but you are entitled to support and clear advice in your language. If you need it please ask, and we will help with translation. (This will be limited to important documents)

What we do?

If you’re not sure whether the offer applies to you, or if there is anything else in this guide that you don't understand, speak to your social worker or leaving care worker.

If you don’t have a social worker or leaving care worker, get in touch with the leaving care team and they will be able to let you know whether the offer applies to you.

If you’ve had a leaving care worker in the past and would like some support from the leaving care team again, please get back in touch.

At 16 (or soon after coming into care before you turn 18) you will be supported by a leaving care worker and a social worker up to 18. At 18 you will no longer have a social worker, but the leaving care team will be with you, if you want, up to the age of 25.

At 21 we step you forward to a less intensive service. We want you to be your own independent adult in your own rights, but you are still fully entitled to come back to us at any time and access support offering information, advice and guidance from the leaving care service up to the age of 25.

Being your corporate parents means Lincolnshire, the seven district councils and our partners must provide you with certain support and services, some of these are in law. We want to support you and offer every opportunity you need to be the best you can possibly be and to achieve your goals.

How can we help?

The team will work closely with you, your social worker and your carers when you are 16 and 17. This will ensure that you are ready and able to make a successful move into adulthood.

We will support and advocate on your behalf. We will carry out a six-monthly pathway review meeting with you and other agencies and organisations that may be helping you.

We offer funding for new home grants, help by paying for education and have options for apprenticeships and employment support.

Our promise to you

As a department, we will:

respect and honour your identity
believe in you, take your views into account and never give up on you
discuss your needs with you and listen to your views
give you the information you need in every aspect of life, including opportunities and rights
support you with your needs and the decisions you have to make
enhance your life skills to help you find and manage a home
listen to you and be available when possible

We know that managing your money can be challenging, so we will help you to:

open a bank account
claim benefits
get your National Insurance Number if you don’t have or know it
deal with any emergencies
set up your home grant for purchasing items, such as furniture
get grants, discounts and funding that you are eligible for
manage health costs, such as prescriptions, dental care or glasses
use your £2000 setting up home grant

Rent gap

If you are under 18, we must pay for your housing and make sure it is suitable.

A move to independent living can be a big step so we can give you options, such as:

returning home for a short time
remaining with a foster carer
moving to supported lodgings
a semi-independent option

Once you are 18:

you are responsible for paying your rent and expenses
if you remain in education, we will only pay for accommodation during holidays

Supporting at college or other education programmes

We will help you receive the financial support you are entitled to at school or college. Depending on your age, type of course and other circumstances, we will help with:

registration and exam fees
textbooks and software specified as essential
activities essential to meet course requirements
public transport between home and place of learning
transport to open days and interviews
specific clothing, such as for interview or course equipment

If you are 18 or 19 and in full-time education, you may be entitled to the 16 to 19 bursary fund. Care leavers are a priority group for this funding which can be up to £1,200 per year.

If you are 20 or over, we can help you access other funding sources to support you in education and training.

Supporting you at university

We commit to supporting you to succeed at university. Your personal adviser will help you to apply and prepare. They will continue to support you throughout your course if you wish.
They can work with you to ensure you have accommodation, transport, equipment and financial support. They can also help you to apply for any care leaver grants or bursaries that may be available to you at your university.

Further help

We will gift you £20 for your birthday and £50 for your main religious festival.

Young parents may be entitled to help with childcare costs.

See our leaving care and looked after children finance handbook for more in depth details

If you need to understand anything about your time in care, please speak to your leaving care worker.

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in the United Kingdom are:

children outside their country of origin to seek asylum in the United Kingdom,
separated from parents and relatives
and, are not in the care of someone responsible for doing so

If you are a care leaver with immigration or asylum status, you will have lots of forms and tasks to complete before turning 18 and every few years after that. Your Leaving Care worker will help you with this and translate important documents for you

If things are not done on time, it can harm your chances of staying in the UK so we urge you to work with your solicitor and leaving care worker

We will give you clear advice through your Pathway Plan to ensure you get the support you need