A care leaver is a young person aged 16-25 years old who has been ‘looked after’ at some point since they were 14 years old, and were in care on or after their 16th birthday.
As a care leaver you are entitled to various support to help you move into a successful working life.
Wiltshire Council – Leaving Care Service
The Virtual School is a service provided by Wiltshire Council and continues to support looked-after children and
care leavers within education through to the age of 25.
Wiltshire Virtual School
This service provides accommodation across Wiltshire for Young People leaving care, providing a safe and supportive environment where young people can make life changes, develop responsibilities and move towards independent living.
Wiltshire Leaving Care Service – Alabare
This service provides accommodation across Wiltshire for Young People leaving care, providing a safe and supportive environment where young people can make life changes, develop responsibilities and move towards independent living.
Support on hand in the Jobcentre
There is support available at the Jobcentre if you are care experienced so please make your work coach aware of your personal circumstances –
Other education and employment support available:
- Propel – a website (from Become) setting out UK universities’ pastoral and financial provision for care leavers, as well as inspirational stories from care-experienced students who have successfully made the transition from care to higher education. propel.org.uk
- Career Pilot – expert careers information and tools for 11-19 year olds, all in one place with information for young people in care and care leavers. www.careerpilot.org.uk/information/in-care-care-leavers
- Apprenticeships – details of the bursary payment some apprentices may be entitled to if they are under 25 when they start an apprenticeship and they are or have been in care. Apprenticeships bursary for care leavers – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- National Network for the Education of Care Leavers – a charity that works with universities to support young people in or leaving care with moving into and through further and higher education. National Network for the Education of Care Leavers | Home (nnecl.org)
- Care Leaver Covenant – The Covenant is a promise made by private, public or voluntary organisations to provide support for care leavers aged 16-25 to help them to live independently. You can see all the offers made on their website or they can be found on the official Care Leaver Covenant App. The website is also a new tool for care leavers to stay informed with all that the Covenant has to offer as well as information about support you may be able to access. Care Leaver Covenant.
- Unite Foundation – an independent registered charity offering a unique accommodation scholarship for care leaver/experienced and estranged young people at university. The scholarship takes care of students’ accommodation and bills, covering up to 3 full years of study. The charity currently works with 25 universities across England and Scotland. Unite Foundation
- Multiply is here to supports adults aged 19+ who do not currently have Level 2/GCSE maths at grade 4 (previously known as a C grade). There are various courses available, both face to face and online. The courses can help you to improve your skills and confidence to help you move forward.
Find out more from the Multiply page
Other support and information for care experienced young people
- Help is at hand – Childrens Commissioner Office – Support and information from the children’s commissioner office on your right’s if you are in care, leaving care, living away from home or working with social services including a confidential advice and information service about your situation. www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/help-at-hand/
- Become – The charity for children in care and young care leavers, offer a free advice line to anyone in care or care leavers and the website has lots of useful information and resources. Become Website
- The Care Leavers Association – a national user led charity aimed at improving the lives of care leavers of all ages. They offer advice and support on Leaving Care rights and entitlements, as well as signposting to services that can offer assistance through the Young Person’s Project. http://www.careleavers.com/what-we-do/young-peoples-project/leavingcare/They have a useful guide on the support you can receive from your Local Authority to help you access Further and Higher Education with information about your Rights and Entitlements. Support while accessing Further and Higher Education – The Care Leavers Association
- Coram Voice – offering support and information for children and young people in care, on the edge of care and care leavers. https://coramvoice.org.uk/
- Department for Education – J000425 CLC Appenticeship Job Factsheet (adobe.com)