Our offer to care leavers

Am I a care leaver?

We know it can be confusing to understand what it means to be a care leaver and what help, and support may be there for you as you become a young adult.

When you turn 18 you will no longer be looked after and will now be classed as a care leaver. Our leaving care service is on hand to support you until you are 25 years old.

There are different types of support available depending on your age and circumstances. To get support from the leaving care team you must have been in care for 13 weeks between the ages of 14-16 or in care after your 16th birthday. If you aren’t sure if you can get the support, you need there are 3 ways you can check:

the Coram website has lots of handy tips and information which tells you your rights and a quiz which can help you understand if you can get support. See the Coram website to see if you are a care leaver
if you already have a social worker or leaving care worker, get in touch with them and ask what support and help you could get, even if you are no longer in touch with them. If you are under 25, they are still there to help
if you don’t have a social worker or leaving care worker or don’t have contact details for anyone, you can call our leaving care service on: 01522 575955

When does the leaving care team support start?

To help you prepare to leave care, your social worker will introduce you to your leaving care worker soon after your 16th birthday so they can get to know you, understand what you may need and how they can help you.

Once you turn 18, all of your support will be via your leaving care worker. Your social worker will make sure all your plans and agreed support has been handed over.

At 21 you may step into a less intensive form of support. This doesn’t mean we no longer care or won’t keep in touch, but we recognise that as an adult you may no longer wish to be involved with us. Regardless of what you decide, we will always keep in touch until you are 25 through sending our newsletter updates and a least yearly contact to check in. At any point from 21-25 if you need more help or support than you currently have, even if you’ve maybe not had support for some time always get in touch to see what we can help with. If it’s needed, we’ll also make sure you have a named leaving care worker who you can be in regular contact with.

Support from different organisations

There are lots of organisations who we work with really closely to make sure you can access the most helpful support and guidance, such as:

housing providers and local housing departments
schools, colleges, universities and alternative education providers
local businesses
voluntary and community organisations
Department for Working Pensions (benefits, job seeking and income support)

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.

Our offer to you over 21

When you get to 21 the type of support you get from us may change as we look to support you less intensively, so you can continue to develop those independent skills, managing day-to-day life and continue to meet your life goals. The post 21 support is more likely to be a general advice and guidance service and you will be offered an updated pathway plan.

However, we always want to make sure you feel ready to do things more independently and we would be led by you as to when is the right time to see less of us. This would never happen without conversations with you about what you need. When you do move over to less intensive support, you will still get support from the leaving care service if you want it, 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.

Equally if you’ve previously had support, but not currently seeing or speaking to your leaving care worker at any time up to your 25th birthday you can get in touch for any guidance and support, we will always be there, so please reach out.

If you are still in education

If you are in higher education such as university or on a care leavers apprenticeship you will remain with your named leaving care worker until you finish, but we will talk to you about whether you want us to stay in touch quite as much.

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
all districts 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
you can change your mind about how much contact you get from us at any point
we are always here if you need us, don’t be afraid to get in touch

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

Where to live

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

Your move, your dignity - our promise to you

My things matter

When you're moving to a new accommodation, we know how important your belongings are. These aren't just things - they're your memories, your history, and a part of who you are.

Our commitment to you

proper luggage, every time: we'll provide you with suitable bags and luggage when you move. No bin bags, no makeshift solutions
respect your belongings: we understand that your possessions matter. We'll work with you to handle your things carefully and considerately
your voice matters: if there are ever concerns about items you're moving, we'll have an open conversation with you first

Being honest about challenging situations

We want to be clear and transparent. While we are committed to respecting your belongings, there might be rare circumstances where we need to make difficult decisions about items. If this ever happens:

we will always explain why
we will never make these decisions in secret
we will involve you in the conversation as much as possible
the safety and wellbeing of you and others will be our primary concern

These decisions will only be made if absolutely necessary and with full, open communication.

What this means for you

We're supporting the "my things matter" campaign because we believe care-experienced young people deserve dignity, respect, and support during transitions.
Your move. Your dignity. Your things matter.

Got questions?

Talk to your leaving care worker if you want to discuss this further. We're here to listen and support you.

Accommodation

Finding accommodation

There are different housing options available in Lincolnshire, some with support included and some without. Ultimately, you will decide what accommodation to accept but we will be considering your needs and your level of life skills to ensure the accommodation offered to you is suitable and appropriate. We will also liaise with housing on your behalf to ensure that your views are listened to and accounted for throughout the process.

Staying with foster carers after you have turned 18 is called staying put, you can stay with your foster carer until you are 21 if this is agreed.

There are lots of different types of supported housing options available to you, depending on your level of need. We will make sure you understand the options available to you and encourage you to accept housing which we believe is in your best interests. If you have any questions just reach out to us and we are here to help

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

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 or speak 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
access the free leisure offer from Lincolnshire district councils

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. We promise to help you plan how you can best use this, and the other money in your life.

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 and the DWP will work with us to make sure this doesn't happen. 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 supported living, speak to your leaving care worker as help is available. Your leaving care worker can help you by applying for a period of discretionary additional funding to cover the costs of living in supported housing. This can be in place for a period of time whilst you find your next home. Speak to your leaving care worker for more information about rent gap.

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 for and prepare to go to university. We will continue to support you throughout your course if you wish.

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

Supporting you whilst finding a job

Whilst we support you to find employment and we work closely with our partners at the DWP, If you are actively looking for work, you can also get free broadband and unlimited data. This will help you access the internet and support you to apply for the jobs you want.

Further help

Up to the age of 21, we will always buy you a gift for your birthday, and we will always buy you another gift for your main religious festival.

Young parents may be entitled to additional help with childcare costs, and extra financial support if you have a baby, so please do speak to your leaving care worker

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, all seven district councils would like to offer free access to health and leisure facilities for care leavers from 16 years old. Speak to your leaving care worker to apply and secure your free pass

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 Horizon.

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.

Get help with costs if you have a child or are pregnant

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

Getting involved

Your voice really matters. Getting involved in your community.

You are not alone, we can support you to feel confident and in control of your life and to feel part of the community you live in and wider society. We will support you with advice and guidance around exploring your identity, culture and help you to maintain your faith and existing or new networks of support.

Your leaving care worker can support you to find clubs, events, places to go and if you want to, meet other care leavers.

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

your birthday
religious events
cultural events

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

Register to vote

Once you turn 18 you are entitled to vote in local and national elections. Voting can make a difference in the way local services are provided and can also be a positive for your credit rating.
To register to vote go to the Government website

Volunteering

Volunteering is a great way to get out of the house, opens up opportunities of learning and new experiences to people who may not have usually had that chance.

For some young people volunteering can simply be a way of giving back to the community or sharing their own skills and experience onto others.

It can also add to your CV or help you decide what career path you wish to follow.

New skills gained like communication, teamwork and decision-making can make you stand out from the crowd when applying to a college or job or can help you decide what career path you’d like to follow.

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 would like to apply or get more information.

You tell us what works

As a care experienced young person, you are the expert in your experiences, how we support you, what we could do better and how we shape our services.

We want to develop our offer to care leavers and that’s why we need you to give us your voice and to connect with other young people with similar experiences.

We 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

We’d love you to be part of this! For more information, call Barnardo’s on 01522 575955 or speak to your social worker or leaving care worker.

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?

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.

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 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
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 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 give you £25 on your birthday (£50 for your 21st) and £50 each year for your festival (for example Christmas)

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