What does this mean for me?
Just because you are leaving care, or have already left care, we haven’t stopped caring about you. We want to make sure you feel safe and supported and know where to go for advice and help.
Your leaving care worker will:
- be there until your 25th birthday offering support and guidance, led by your needs and how much support you’d like
- we will give you gifts for your birthday and religious festival
- support you with decisions about your future and help you to get to your goals
- develop with you a pathway plan which will show how you will be supported to achieve everything you wish to achieve
- help you find the right sort of loving home at a time that is right for you (for example remaining with your former foster carer at 18 or in a supported lodging arrangement)
- will support you in achieving your career goals, which may be through apprenticeships, college or university, work experience or employment
- help you budget and manage your money and apply for any benefits or extra help you are entitled to
- support you to stay safe and have a healthy lifestyle
- help you to have new experiences and develop your own interests
- help you to keep in touch with family, carers and friends and develop good support networks wherever you are living
As we work with lots of organisations to make sure you get the best amount of help, we will always tell you who we plan to share your information with. You can also at any point ask to see any information we may hold about you and your past whilst in care.
Our promise to you
- we will respect and honour your identity and culture
- believe in you, take your views into account and never give up on you
- give you the information you need in every aspect of life, including opportunities and rights
- support you with any big decisions you have to make
- offer practical help to help you have the skills to find and manage your home
- involve you, listen to you and make sure you know what will happen next
- we will celebrate your achievements
Other types of help:
If you have special educational needs or disabilities
Sometimes it can be hard to know if you were looked after if you lived somewhere like a residential school or home for young people with disabilities, or if you lived with your family but had lots of short breaks. If you are unsure whether you are a care leaver, you can contact our leaving care service to check. If you are unable to call us yourself, ask someone you trust to make the call.
In Lincolnshire we have something called the Local Offer which describes lots of additional help and support available.
If you need help to understand this information or access the website, contact your leaving care worker or social worker who can go through this with you.
If you are pregnant, about to be or are a parent
Being a parent is a big step for any young person, but it is particularly so for a care leaver becoming independent at the same time and can be both scary and exciting.
Care leavers who are to become parents will have a special responsibility. You will need to ensure your baby receives good enough parenting when that might not have been the case for you.
Your leaving care worker will work with you alongside other agencies (including midwifes, health visitors and possibly social workers) and can provide help, advice, and support. This can be in lots of ways such as where you live, money, essential items a baby would need and wellbeing support.
If you are the non-birthing parent, we will offer you opportunities to access support during the pregnancy as the birth will affect you too. We’ll suggest ways you can support your partner during pregnancy and how you can be as ready as possible to be a parent.
You may be able to get help with money, such as receiving a one-off payment to help with the costs of having a child. This is called a Sure Start maternity grant.
There is also lots of advice, guidance and groups available at our children centres, you can see your health visitor here, get baby weighed, attend groups and attend parenting groups which are specially for parents to be, we call this antenatal.
Better Births Lincolnshire also has lots of helpful information.
If you are in custody
When in custody, whether it’s youth offending Institution or a prison, your leaving care worker (depending on circumstances) will visit you to support you.
They will continue to support your aspirations and make a pathway plan with you or update your current one.
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.
The focus will be on how you can make the best of your time in custody, keep yourself safe, help you keep those important relationships, networks and develop some skills for the future through training and education.
Before your release your leaving care will work with the youth offending service, probation as well as other agencies to discuss how best to support you with advice and guidance about where you will live, what further education or employment you could access and what support you need from your wider network.