Leaving Care

1. Definitions

Normally the definitions relating to Keywords are found by accessing the Keywords Glossary, but a number of the terms used in this procedure are specific to it; therefore they have also been summarised below:

2. Merton's Vision for Care Leavers and the Care Leavers' Charter

As the Corporate Parent for care leavers, Merton wants for its care leavers what any good parent would want for their adult daughter or son moving from childhood into adulthood. This is a complex and challenging time of transition for all young people, but for young people in the care of local authorities, it is widely recognised that they will face additional challenges to their peers. Merton will do everything possible to assist our young people to gain further education and training, and employment. Merton will ensure that they have somewhere suitable to live once they leave care. Our aspirations and ambitions for our care leavers are unlimited, but our resources are limited by public funds and availability of jobs and housing. We proactively engage with the challenges of the resource limitations to provide our care leavers with all possible support and help, working in partnership together with the wide range of statutory and third sector agencies providing employment, health, housing, benefits, mentoring, and counselling support to adults.

Our objectives are to:

• Motivate and help each care leaver to reach their full potential;
• Promote their good physical, emotional and sexual health lifestyles;
• Facilitate and support their accommodation choices;
• Help them maintain positive relationships with family, friends, professionals, and significant persons;
• Guide them to be financially independent and able to budget within their means;
• Ensure their Pathway Plans are relevant, motivational, and aspirational;
• Help them take up cultural, lifestyle, leisure, social and community opportunities;
• Model good citizenship to them and help them model this to their peers;
• Engage them in mentoring younger looked after children where possible and appropriate, and to participate in the Children in Care Council.

And to base our practice and delivery on the key principles of the Care Leavers' Charter, which Merton endorses.

Preparation for Independence

Care leavers should leave care and move towards independence at a time and pace that is right for them. Young people are encouraged to remain in care until their 18th birthday, when this is in their best interests. After their 18th birthday, they are supported to live with or close to the people who are important to them, such as previous carers or their immediate or extended family. Positive and loving relationships and social networks established while they were in care should be helped to endure into adulthood.

Care leavers will be helped to develop the skills and confidence they need to become independent and successful adults, for example being able to manage their finances and parenting skills.

They will be provided with all the key documents they need to give them control over their lives as young adults, such as national insurance numbers, birth certificates and passports; and the resources and financial support they need to engage with education, employment and training and to connect with people who are important to them. For example, devices to get online, reliable and affordable internet access and affordable transportation.

Making Good Decisions for Care Leavers

The wishes and feelings of care leavers should be set out clearly in timely and authoritative assessments. Planning for leaving care should start sufficiently early to meet young people's needs and build on existing care and personal education plans. Young people should be actively involved in creating plans for their future and their views are central to decisions about their lives.

Decisions about care leavers should consider any needs related to their specific circumstances, including whether they are an unaccompanied asylum seeker, a young parent or have had contact with the criminal justice system.

Relationships and Participation

Care leavers should have positive, trusting and stable relationships with Personal Advisers, carers and other professionals. Professionals should be committed to protecting them, promoting their emotional health and well-being, acting in their best interests and helping them to understand what is happening in their lives; and be ambitious for young people's futures and celebrate their achievements.

Care leavers should be supported to maintain relationships with people who are important to them (for example, family, friends, carers, former carers and professionals). They should have strong social networks that they can rely on when they need support, and that keep them from experiencing loneliness and isolation. These relationships and social networks should endure into adulthood.

Care leavers should have access to a range of social and recreational opportunities that help them to create and maintain supportive and positive relationships with people that are important to them and to feel a part of their community.

Professionals should create a culture where young people want to keep in touch. Social workers and/or Personal Advisers should be proactive in creating opportunities to engage with care leavers, including those who are not currently in regular contact with the local authority. The level of engagement with individual young people should reflect their known needs and preferences.

Care leavers should be helped to understand their rights, entitlements and responsibilities, including their right to independent advocacy that meets their needs. See Advocacy and Independent Visitors Procedure.

They should know how to give feedback or complain and understand what has happened as a result. Their complaints will be treated seriously and be responded to clearly, and urgent action taken and services improved when necessary. See Complaints and Representations Procedure.

The local authority consults widely with care leavers and involves them in designing services. See Consultation Policy.

Health and Emotional Well-being

Care leavers should be in good physical and mental health or be being helped to improve their health though access to services that meet their needs. Practitioners should understand young people's emotional well-being and mental health needs, including the potential impact of trauma and adverse life experiences. The local authority should work effectively with partners in the health sector to ensure that care leavers can access good physical and mental health services, including adult mental health services, when these are needed.

Care leavers should have access to and understand their full health history.

Safeguarding

Care leavers should be protected and helped to keep themselves safe from all forms of bullying, discrimination and harassment, such as homophobic behaviour, racism and stigma that they may encounter because they are care experienced.

Care leavers should feel safe. The local authority works effectively with its partners to respond to risks associated with young people offending, misusing drugs or alcohol, going missing or being sexually or criminally exploited. Young people should receive help to reduce the risk of harm or actual harm and be helped to understand how they can keep themselves safe.

See Merton Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures.

3. Leaving Care Assessment of Need

All Young People - Eligible, Relevant or Former Relevant - must receive a multi-agency assessment of their needs as to the advice, assistance and support they will need when leaving care.

The young person's Personal Advisor will be responsible for coordinating the Needs Assessment.

This assessment should be completed no more than 3 months after the young person's 16th birthday or after the young person becomes Eligible or Relevant if this is later. The timetable must take account of any forthcoming exams and avoid disrupting the young person's preparation for them.

The young person's Care Plan together with information from the most recent Assessment will form the basis of the Needs Assessment.

The young person's Personal Advisor will be responsible for recording the assessment information and conclusions as well as the outcome of any meetings held. The young person must be invited to any meetings held in connection with the assessment.

The Needs Assessment should take account of the views of the following:

1. The young person;
2. The parents;
3. The current carer;
4. The school/college and the education service;
5. Any Independent Visitor;
6. Any person providing health care or treatment for the young person;
7. Any other relevant person including, in the case of a young person with special needs, a representative from Adult Services;
8. A care leaver's needs in relation to their status as a victim of trafficking or an unaccompanied asylum seeking child must be considered when the local authority is preparing an assessment of needs. Also, to require that, where a child is a victim of trafficking or an unaccompanied asylum seeking child, the local authority must consider whether their related needs are being met when reviewing the child's pathway plan (see amended Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010).

A decision not to include significant people must be recorded in the young person's file.

Young people with particular language or communication needs should be provided throughout the process with appropriate interpretation, translation or advocacy support.

Where the young person refuses to engage in the assessment process, this should be recorded, together with any actions taken to ascertain the young person's views.

All parties, including the Personal Advisor's manager, should sign the completed Needs Assessment Record. The young person should be provided with a copy in a format that is accessible to him or her within 2 weeks. The Personal Advisor is responsible for ensuring that the outcome of the assessment is explained to the young person.

The Needs Assessment will inform the development of a Pathway Plan which will be based on and include the young person's Care Plan.

Where the young person continues to be Looked After, the Placement Plan/Placement Information Record should describe what arrangements have been made within the placement to support the Pathway Plan.

When carrying out an assessment of needs, the local authority must determine whether it would be appropriate to provide advice, assistance and support to facilitate a Staying Put arrangement. Where they determine that it would be appropriate, and where the child and the local authority foster parent wish to make a Staying Put arrangement, then the local authority must provide such advice, assistance and support to facilitate a Staying Put arrangement. For further information see the Staying Put Policy.

For further information, see Appendix 1: Needs Assessment and Content of Pathway Plans for Relevant and Former Relevant Children.

4. Pathway Planning

All young people will have a Pathway Plan in place within 3 months of becoming Eligible and, wherever possible, a Pathway Plan will be in place by the young person's 16th birthday.

The Pathway Plan will integrate the Merton Vision (see Section 2, Merton's Vision for Care Leavers and the Care Leavers' Charter) with the Children and Social Work Act 2017 seven Corporate Parenting Principles:

• To act in the best interests, and promote the physical and mental health and well-being, of those children and young people;
• To encourage those children and young people to express their views, wishes and feelings;
• To take into account the views, wishes and feelings of those children and young people;
• To help those children and young people gain access to, and make the best use of, services provided by the local authority and its relevant partners;
• To promote high aspirations, and seek to secure the best outcomes, for those children and young people;
• For those children and young people to be safe, and for stability in their home lives, relationships and education or work; and
• To prepare those children and young people for adulthood and independent living.

The Pathway Plan will include a young person's Care Plan and any Personal Education Plan or Careers advice.

Each young person will be central to drawing up their own Pathway Plan setting the goals and identifying how the local authority will help meet them, including any services being provided in respect of the young person's disability or needs arising from being in custody or as a result of entering the country as an unaccompanied asylum seeker. It should be written in a way that meets the needs of the young person, capturing their aspirations and key messages. Young people with particular language or communication needs should be provided throughout the process with appropriate interpretation, translation or advocacy support.

The Pathway Plan must clearly identify the roles of each person who has a part to play in supporting the care leaver.

The Pathway Plan should also include:

• The plan for the young person's continuing education or training when he/she ceases to be looked after - where the young person is no longer of statutory school age, the Pathway Plan may need to incorporate the goals and actions that were previously included in the PEP;
• How the Responsible Local Authority will assist the young person in obtaining employment or other purposeful activity or occupation, taking into account their aspirations, skills and educational potential to improve their chance of employability;
• Access to the 'From Care2Work' programme for Care Leavers funded by the Department For Education if appropriate;
• The financial support to be provided to enable the young person to meet accommodation and maintenance costs; taking into account their financial capabilities and money-management capacity, along with strategies to develop skills in this area;
• The nature and level of contact and personal support to be provided, and by whom, to the young person;
• Details of the accommodation the young person is to occupy (including an assessment of its suitability in the light of the young person's needs, and details of the considerations taken into account in assessing that suitability);
• Details of the arrangements made by the Responsible Local Authority to meet the young person's needs in relation to their identity, with particular regard to their religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background.

The Pathway Plan must address in particular:

• The young person's health and development building on the information included in the young person's Health Care Plan;
• Education, training and employment. The Personal Education Plan (PEP) should continue to be maintained while the young person continues to receive full or part-time education. Information within the PEP will feed directly into the Pathway Plan. Pathway Plans must have an explicit focus on career planning, taking into account the young person's aspirations, skills, and educational potential;
• Contact with the young person's parents, wider family including siblings and friends and the capacity of this network to encourage the young person and enable them to make a positive transition to adulthood;
• The young person's financial capabilities and money management capacity, along with strategies to develop the young person's skills in this area;
• Where relevant, immigration status should be included as a separate section on Pathway Plans. This will help to ensure that young people who have been granted Pre Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme apply to convert this to Settled Status at the appropriate time. Each young person's personal deadline for converting Pre Settled into Settled Status is unique to them and contained in a digital format – it is important therefore that this is recorded and monitored by the local authority. Plans should contain clear information about what action needs to be taken by whom and when.

The Pathway Plan must identify contingency arrangements that will come into effect to support the young person if, for whatever reason, the planned arrangements are not realised.

The local authority should have a flexible approach to supporting young people; It should be borne in mind that the it has a duty to accept young people aged 16 and 17 yrs back in to care if a young person's decision to move into semi-independent accommodation, leave care or decline leaving care services is then identified as premature.

Where a transfer from Children's to Adult Services will be required, the Plan should specify who has responsibility for giving notice to Adult Services and liaising with them to ensure a smooth transition.

The Designated Manager should approve and sign the Pathway Plan.

On completion and approval of the Pathway Plan, all parties involved including the young person should sign it.

The young person will be provided with a copy of the most up to date Pathway Plan and the contents must be explained.

Where agencies are contributing to the delivery of an individual young person's Pathway Plan they should be provided with a copy of the relevant extract from the Plan relating to their contribution.

Information from the Pathway Plan should not be shared with other agencies or individuals without the young person's consent.

Where the care leaver is aged 21 and under 25 and they require more specific help and support, it is not necessary to complete all the domains of the Pathway Plan, just those that are appropriate and relevant to the area(s). However, where the support is of a comprehensive nature, a fully completed Plan is required. The judgement as to the nature of the support required should be made by the Personal Adviser.

5. Reviews of Pathway Plans

The Pathway Plan must be reviewed at least every 6 months.

Reviews should take place more often if requested by the young person or the Personal Advisor or where there has been a significant change in the young person's circumstances.

The purpose of the review is to check that the goals and milestones are still right and that they are being met. All levels of support should be reviewed to ensure that they are adequate and delivered according to plan.

For an Eligible Young Person, the date for the first review of the Pathway Plan will be set to coincide with the young person's next Looked After Review after the Pathway Plan has been drawn up.

For a Relevant Young Person, the date for the first review will, if possible, be set at the last Looked After Review before the young person ceases to be looked after and in any case within 6 months of becoming a relevant young person.

For a Former Relevant Young Person, the date for the first review will take place within six months of the young person's 18th birthday.

Whilst the young person is Eligible their Independent Reviewing Officer will chair reviews or support the young person to chair.

The Team Manager will retain a monitoring role, at six monthly intervals, to check the progress of the Pathway Plan.

If the Relevant Young Person or Former Relevant Young Person moves to supported accommodation, the Local Authority must:

1. Arrange a review of the Pathway Plan within 28 days (or as soon as practicable thereafter) from the time the accommodation is provided; and
2. Determine at what intervals (not exceeding 3 months) subsequent reviews will be carried out;
3. Reviews should be brought forward where there is an assessed risk that a crisis may develop in a young person's life, for example:
   • Where a young person has been charged with an offence and there is a possibility of their being sentenced to custody, which will risk losing their accommodation;
   • Where a young person is at risk of being evicted from their accommodation or otherwise threatened with homelessness;
   • Where professionals are concerned about the parenting capacity of a 'Relevant' or 'Former Relevant' young person with there being a possibility that their own child may need to be the subject of a multi-agency safeguarding plan;
   • Where a young person requests a review.

Matters to which the Local Authority is to have regard in determining suitability of accommodation (under Schedule 2 to the Care Leavers Regulations 2010 and Schedule 6 of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations 2010):

1. In respect of the accommodation:
   1. The facilities and services provided;
   2. The state of repair;
   3. The safety;
   4. The location;
   5. The support;
   6. The tenancy status; and
   7. The financial commitments involved for the relevant young person and their affordability.
2. In respect of the Relevant young person:
   1. Their views about the accommodation;
   2. Their understanding of their rights and responsibilities in relation to the accommodation; and
   3. Their understanding of funding arrangements.

See also Placements in Other Arrangements Procedure.

It is good practice for a review to be held within 28 days of any change in the care leaver's accommodation.

Where a Relevant or Former Relevant Young Person enters custody, pathway planning must continue. The young person must be visited on a regular basis and it is good practice for the first visit to take place within five working days. The role must not be fulfilled by a YOT worker. The Local Authority must liaise with the YOT or National Probation Service to support the young person emotionally, practically and financially while in custody. A review of the Pathway Plan should be carried out at least a month before the young person's release to give sufficient time to plan for their resettlement, including identifying suitable accommodation where the young person's placement had to be given up or has been lost.

There should be a joint housing protocol which maps out how the local housing authority will work with children's social care; the youth secure estate; prisons; the National Probation Service; Youth Offending Services and other interested agencies that may be involved with a young person, to support the release of children from custody and secure accommodation and ensure that adequate pre-release planning is in place and that suitable accommodation forms a central part of this. This should include details such as identifying who will collect the young person and the sources of support after their release.

See: Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: good practice advice, Section 2.6 Care leavers leaving custody (DfE and MHCLG).

See also: Youth Justice Accommodation Pathway (St. Basils).

In the event of a Relevant or Former Relevant Young Person breaking off contact and/or not engaging with the agreed support and advice being offered, a review of the Pathway Plan may take place by telephone, e-mail or letter. In these circumstances the Personal Advisor will attempt to negotiate a revised plan that is acceptable to all parties.

Where contact is lost, the emphasis of the Pathway Plan Review will switch to record how attempts will be made to re-establish contact and these efforts will be reviewed within the established system.

A route back for the young person or care leaver to seek support in the future should be kept open and communicated, (even after they have reached 21 and made a decision not to engage any further at that stage) for example by sending birthday cards and appropriate festive greetings, and ensuring that the young person receives any circulated information about The Local Offer or events in which they may have an interest.

6. Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers

Care leavers should have somewhere secure and stable to live that best meets their needs, where they feel safe and where they can develop their independence skills.

Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: Good Practice Advice (DfE and MHCLG) sets out the commitments, as corporate parents, local authorities should develop to commission and maintain accommodation for care leavers and how these, through their joint protocols, should be delivered in practice. The Guidance acknowledges the range of help and support care leavers require through a variety of circumstances, together with the duty local authorities have to prevent homelessness. The Guidance also reflects the importance of including the young person's views and feelings together with those who are involved with them.

Local authorities should develop protocols as to how a degree of flexibility and choice could be provided within residency criteria for housing authority allocation schemes. This could include providing looked after care leavers and care leavers:

• Are able to register for social housing with the housing authority of their choice in a two-tier area;
• Are able to register from out of area placements should they wish to return; landlords are engaged and supported to offer accommodation to care leavers;
• Can be registered for social housing in an area where they have been placed and have lived for some time.

Where private tenancies are offered, facilities should be considered where: there is access rent in advance / deposit schemes managed by housing authorities or commissioned providers; there are arrangements for ensuring accommodation is suitable for the young person, as set out in DfE and MHCLG guidance, (where placed under homelessness duties); the local authority will mitigate against the impact of a change in benefit entitlement once a young person reaches the age of 22 [1]; landlords are engaged, trained and supported to offer accommodation to care leavers, etc. (see Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: good practice advice, Section 2.9 Move on accommodation (DfE and MHCLG)).

For care leavers aged 21 or over the duty to assess needs, and develop and keep under review a pathway plan - apply only where the young person requests support. It is therefore important that joint housing protocols cover the support available from a local authority area to care leavers up to the age of 25.

Risks of tenancy breakdown or homelessness should be identified and addressed early; alternative plans and support should be put in place promptly when necessary and reasonable efforts made to avoid young people being deemed intentionally homeless. Although 'unintentional homelessness' is a cornerstone for housing authorities with regard to the prevention and relief of homelessness, the Homelessness code of guidance (section 22.17) states that local authorities should do all they can to avoid the impact of intentionally homeless decisions on care leavers; and through joint working between housing and children's services, give full consideration to the needs and vulnerabilities of the young person. This would include taking into account the young person's emotional and mental well-being, maturity and general ability to understand the impact of their actions. A young person should have a 'Personalised Housing Plan' [2], (which could be included into their Pathway Plan), if there is a threat of, or actual homelessness, which sets out the steps the local authority and applicant will take to prevent, or relieve, a homeless situation.

It is particularly important to have strong contingency plans in place for care leavers who are identified as being at risk of homelessness. This would include care leavers with a history of placement breakdown, and/or those with additional needs such as mental health issues, learning disability, attachment disorder, substance misuse and experience of offending behaviour.

Protocols should also set out the process to be followed in order to:

• Enable an appeal where a care leaver is not satisfied that the accommodation being provided is suitable;
• Establish ways of resolving disputes, both within and between authorities.

Local housing Appeal and Dispute Resolution Protocols - to follow.

Note: Bed and Breakfast Accommodation (B&B) is not considered as suitable accommodation other than in exceptional circumstances. On such occasions:

• The placement should be limited to two working days;
• The Local Authority provides appropriate supervision and contact with the young person; [3]
• Local areas that use B&Bs should include a statement on how its use will be minimised, and outline how care leavers will be supported and kept safe during a B&B placement. [4]

Houses in multiple occupation should only be used when it is a young person's choice and it is in their best interests.

[1] The Shared Accommodation Rate (SAR) limits the level of housing costs available to care leavers through housing benefit or universal credit to the cost of a room in a shared house. Care leavers are exempt from SAR until they reach the age of 22. From October 2023, the SAR exemption for care leavers will be extended to 25 years as announced in the Budget of February 2020 (from Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: good practice advice, Section 2.9 Move on accommodation (DfE and MHCLG));
[2] The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017;
[3] 7.12, DfE The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 3: Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers;
[4] Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: good practice advice (DfE and MHCLG).

7. Personal Advisors

The Children and Social Work Act 2017, Section 3 requires Local Authorities to provide Personal Advisors (PA) to care leavers up until they reach the age of 25 – irrespective of whether they are engaged in education or training. This includes care leavers who return to the local authority at any point after the age of 21 up to age 25 and request PA support.

The Personal Advisor's role is to:

• Provide advice (including practical advice) and support to the young person;
• Participate in reviews of the young person's case;
• Liaise with the responsible authority in the implementation of the pathway plan;
• Co-ordinate the provision of services and take reasonable steps to ensure the young person makes use of such services;
• Remain informed about the young person's progress and wellbeing;
• Keep full, accurate and up to date records of contacts with the young person and services provided;
• Provide information about financial capability-how to manage day to day finances;
• Provide housing options available to the care leaver;
• Support in finding further education, employment or training;
• Keep in touch with the young person.

Care leavers should have enough time to develop a trusting relationship with their Personal Adviser before they leave care. Personal Advisers should know young people well and be well-informed about young people's plans for the future, their progress and their well-being.

Personal advisers should help young people to access services that meet their needs. The Personal Adviser acts as the young person's principal source of contact in any matter relating to the Pathway Plan and is accountable for the effective implementation of the Plan. All care leavers (including those who live out of authority) should be made aware of their entitlement to a Personal Adviser up to age 25.

The Personal Adviser will ensure the co-ordination of other agencies and individuals identified in the Pathway Plan and 'act as a focal point' to make sure the young person has access to the appropriate services, including those provisions to enable them to develop some financial management capability.

The Personal Adviser is seen as a 'function' rather than a specific person and the local authority should consider delegating it wholly or partially to the best person able to carry out the role out (see Part 3, Regulation 8 of The Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010). In Merton, in some circumstances, social workers may continue to case-hold post-18 and undertake the role of Personal Advisors.

The Personal Adviser should be someone who is best able to engage with the young person and motivate them to take up, and best make use of, the services that are available and provided.

It would be good practice where possible and appropriate for the Personal Adviser to maintain the same person from 18 years from when they were an Eligible or Relevant child. However, this will not always be possible, although the Personal Adviser should have the necessary skills and experience to carry out the function. The transfer of the role should be undertaken in a planned and managed way.

When allocating a Personal Adviser to an individual young person, consideration must be given to the wishes of the young person and to issues of gender, race, religion, linguistics, disabilities and equal opportunities. The assessment of need and a judgment as to who is most appropriate to fulfil the role of Personal Adviser will influence the choice and allocation of worker.

When a care leaver moves to new accommodation, the Personal Adviser must see them at that accommodation within 7 days of the move.

Effective organisational support is provided for the training and professional development of Personal Advisers.

On each visit, the Personal Adviser must consider whether the accommodation continues to be suitable for the young person.

The Personal Adviser must maintain a written record of their contacts with the young person, monitoring the effectiveness of services in preparing the young person for a time when they will move to greater independence or when they cease to be looked after.

The Personal Adviser will take responsibility for initiating the review of the Pathway Plan and for recording its outcomes.

Care leavers between the age of 21 and under 25 who, following a discussion with their Personal Adviser, wish to continue to receive support, or those who return later during this period, will have an entitlement to resume support from a Personal Adviser previously responsible for their leaving care support.

Depending on the level of their needs, the Personal Adviser's role is expected to reduce over time and become focussed on specific issues with an emphasis on enabling the young adult to take increasingly more responsibility - signposting them to other agencies for information and guidance, including further education and training.

Personal Advisers should apply professional judgement when deciding what level of needs assessment is appropriate.

In all cases where support continues to be offered and provided at this stage, a record should continue to be made be made setting out the issues discussed, and details of any support that the local authority has agreed to provide, so that it can be demonstrated what action they have taken in response to the young adult's request for support.

7.1 Keeping in Touch

It is the role of the Personal Adviser to keep in touch with the young person, and to remain informed as to the young person's progress. However, when the young person becomes 'Former Relevant' this may become more of a challenge and will be dependent on the wishes and needs of the individual care leaver.

A route back for the young person to seek support in the future should be kept open and communicated, for example by sending a birthday card, appropriate festive greeting, letter or a leaflet on how to get in touch in the future, including a link, or details, as to how to access the Local Offer. Also ensuring that the young person receives any circulated information about services or events in which they may have an interest.

It should be explained to them that they will be supported to overcome any difficulties they may be experiencing. Where appropriate they should be advised they can return to education or training up to age 25 if this is their wish. (All young people who are Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) should be encouraged to take up this offer of support).

Although there is no requirement to proactively keep in touch with all young people aged over 21 up to age 25 throughout the year, there is a duty which requires local authorities to make care leavers aware that they can continue to request Personal Adviser support when the person turns 21, and on at least an annual basis thereafter.

As with any other circumstance involving vulnerable people, the local authority will need to assess the balance between the risk of harm to the individual, and the rights and freedom of care leavers to choose their own lives and lifestyles. In some situations the Personal Adviser may continue monitoring the welfare of the care leaver, and take appropriate action if necessary (as might be expected to occur in the case of any vulnerable adult that comes to the attention of the local authority).

When allocating a Personal Advisor to an individual young person or care leaver, consideration must be given to the wishes of the young person and to issues of gender, race, religion, linguistics, disabilities and equal opportunities.

As with any other circumstance involving vulnerable people, the local authority will need to assess the balance between the risk of harm to the individual, and the rights and freedom of care leavers to choose their own lives and lifestyles. In some situations the Personal Advisor may continue monitoring the welfare of the care leaver, and to take appropriate action if necessary, (as might be expected to occur in the case of any vulnerable adult that comes to the attention of the local authority).

8. Education, Training and Employment

8.1 Planning for Education, Training and Careers

The local authority should support care leavers to be ambitious and aspirational about their education and employment choices. Young people should know what assistance is available to help them find education and employment, and they should receive good careers advice that helps them to make decisions about their future. Young people should be encouraged and supported to continue their education and training, or to return to education and training at a time that is right for them.

Care leavers should make progress in employment, education or training that they enjoy, which meets their needs and interests and helps them achieve their potential.

The local authority should work closely with partners, education providers, the virtual school and local businesses to secure a range of employment, education and training opportunities for care leavers, including work experience, apprenticeships and further and higher education.

Care leavers must be provided with access to high quality information, advice and guidance to inform their plans in order to progress into continuing education, training or employment. How this will be met should be included in the Pathway Plan. They should be offered work experience and other opportunities to allow them to test their career aspirations and needs. Career planning tools should be used to inform Pathway Plans.

The local authority should make every effort not to disrupt a young person's education during their key stage 4 years, both in terms of their school and care placement unless the circumstances clearly require this. (See also Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Children in Care and Previously Looked After Children Procedure).

8.2 Care Leavers Continuing in Education

Where young people are continuing with an education or training course beyond their 21st birthday, the practical and financial support being provided must continue to be set out in their Pathway Plan.

8.3 The 16-19 Bursary Fund and Higher Education Bursary

The 16-19 Bursary Fund helps 16-19 year olds continue in further education, where they might face financial barriers to participation such as the cost of transport, food or equipment. Young people in the defined group include those in care and care leavers. See the Education and Skills Funding Agency: 16 to 19 education: financial support for students, GOV.UK.

The Higher Education Bursary is for care leavers in higher education.

9. Young People Resuming Education or Training After 21

The definition of a programme of education or training must be interpreted broadly. For example, this might include options such as: completion of a basic skills course, so that the young person has the numeracy and literacy skills needed to compete in the jobs market; take up of a course of further education; take up of a university place; support to enable the young person to complete a recognised postgraduate qualification; or participation in vocational training and apprenticeships.

Where a care leaver requests this support, an assessment should be made to assess the appropriateness of the education or training course and how it will help them to achieve their ambitions. The leaving care team should meet with the young person and, based on the assessment of their needs and the suitability of the course, assign a Personal Advisor to participate in the preparation of a Pathway Plan. The plan should reflect the agreed educational outcomes for the young person and the type of support the young person will require. This assessment should draw on the information about the young person's skills and capabilities which will have been set out in Pathway Plans up to age 21. The extent of practical and financial assistance provided will depend on the assessment of the young person's needs and will reflect the type of course, whether it is full or part time and the young person's existing income.

All care leavers (including those who live out of authority) should be made aware of their entitlement to return to education and training, including by the provision of information (e.g. a letter or leaflet) on how to get in touch in the future. It should be explained to them that they will be supported to overcome difficulties so that they can return to education or training up to age 25 if this is their wish. In particular, all young people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET) should be encouraged to take up this offer of support.

Young people do not need to have decided what education or training they would like to pursue. In such cases, the Personal Advisor should help the young person identify the options best suited to them.

10. Qualifying Young People

Services for Qualifying Young People will be determined by an assessment of need carried out by the Leaving Care Team.

The support offered, which could be financial, will focus upon helping the young person to manage and cope in the community and to manage the transition to adulthood. Attempts will be made to ensure that they are able to access suitable accommodation and maintain social and family links.

Where necessary, in addition to support, practical help should be offered to the young person. This could include helping to acquire basic living skills and consideration of health needs and choices. Where necessary, links will be made with other services and assistance can be provided when they have to have contact with other agencies. Advice and support should also be offered in relation to employment, training and educational opportunities.

Local authorities should also set out what assistance can be provided to young people who are 'Qualifying' as a result of being looked after immediately prior to becoming subject to a Special Guardianship Order or subject to a private fostering arrangement. Local authorities will need to be clear about which local authority is responsible for the provision of services to qualifying young people.

Where a Qualifying Young Person accesses education, or training, financial assistance, this will be possible up to the age of 25. This will ensure that he or she is able to take advantage of the opportunities being offered.

The young person's Personal Advisor should also help to identify, secure and pay for vacation accommodation, for those qualifying young people who have accessed higher education, or residential further education courses.

Approval for the provision of such financial support must be sought by the young person's Personal Advisor by making a written request to the Designated Manager.

The request should specify the type of financial support sought, the reason for the request and the total cost involved.

11. Where Care Leavers Live or Move to a Different Local Authority Area

In some instances, it may be beneficial for care leavers to move to, or remain in, another authority's area:

• They are already living in a foster or residential placement out of the area and being settled there;
• They have been assessed as, or presenting risk if accommodated in the local area;
• They are requiring university vacation accommodation outside the authority area;
• They are wanting to live nearer to a family member or former carer;
• They are moving away to take up employment or training.

Where a care leaver resides in a different local authority area, the local authority must seek to ensure that a service is provided that is commensurate with the service which they would receive if they had remained resident in the area. Care leavers who live away from their 'home' local authority should have access to education and health services that meet their needs as soon as they move outside of their 'home' area.

Whenever possible, plans for movement of care leavers to a different local authority area must be discussed and the level of service provision agreed with the host authority concerned prior to the move taking place.

A protocol should set out what options may be available for care leavers to settle in another area where they chose to do so. This should include the Personal Adviser contacting the local authority where the young person resides to explore what accommodation options may be available in advance of them leaving care.

Where a young person lives in another area the responsible local authority may wish to contact the authority in which they now reside, with the consent of the young person. This can assist with joint planning for the future accommodation needs of the young person in particular where they may be in need of support from adult social care or mental health services.

Should a young person be found accommodation under any homelessness duty the placing housing authority has a statutory duty (section 208 of the Housing Act 1996) to notify the local housing authority for the area where the young person is placed.

With young people moving to other authorities, a discussion and joint meeting between the respective Leaving Care Teams must be arranged.

Arrangements for young people to stay connected to their 'home' local authority should address any relevant safeguarding risks.

12. Staying Put

A Staying Put arrangement is where a young person who has been living in foster care remains in the former foster home after the age of 18.

For a young person living in foster care, the first Looked After Review following their 16th birthday should consider whether a Staying Put arrangement should be an option.

For further information see the Staying Put Policy.

13. Access to Records

Care leavers should be aware that they are entitled to see their records, be able to access their case records quickly and easily and be supported to do this. Their records should be clear and provide a comprehensive record of important life events. The local authority should help young people to understand their histories and experiences, including why they were in care, and to have a clear sense of who they are.

For information on access to records by care leavers, see Case Recording Practitioner Guidance.

Appendix 1: Needs Assessment and Content of Pathway Plans for Relevant and Former Relevant Children

Click here to view Appendix 1: Needs Assessment and Content of Pathway Plans for Relevant and Former Relevant Children

FURTHER INFORMATION

Legislation, Statutory Guidance and Government Non-Statutory Guidance

Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 3: Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers

Care Leavers' Charter

Extending Personal Adviser Support to All Care Leavers to Age 25: Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities Applying Corporate Parenting Principles to Looked-after Children and Care Leavers - Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities

Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: Good Practice Advice (DfE and MHCLG)

Local Offer Guidance: Guidance for Local Authorities