When you leave our care

Leeds City Council is your Corporate Parent if you are a child looked after and when you become a care leaver. 

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.

It is important we try to do the best we can for you, and the government set out some guidance about how councils can do this, there are 7 principals. 

These are to: 

1. act in your best interests to promote your physical and mental health and wellbeing
2. encourage you to express your views, wishes and feelings
3. take into account your views, wishes and feelings when we are making decisions
4. help you to gain access to, and make the best use of, services provided by the Local Authority and the organisations it works with
5. have high aspirations for you and help you to achieve the best outcomes you can
6. make sure you are safe, and to have stability in your home life, relationships, education, work and financially
7. prepare you for adulthood and independent living

When you turn 18 you will no longer be 'looked after' and will now be a care leaver.

This reflects you becoming a young adult and means a change in the services and support we can offer. This new support can be ongoing until you turn 25.

Find out if you are a care leaver

You are a care leaver if you are under 25 years old and have spent time in care as a child or young person.

The amount of support you can get will depend on your age and circumstances. There are 4 statutory care leaver definitions. Working out your eligibility can be complicated, below is a general guide, although always check with your social worker or PA for confirmation. 

Eligible: 

You are aged 16 or 17 and you have either:

• been looked after for at least 13 weeks since your 14th birthday and inclusive of your 16th birthday and you are still in care now
• been looked after for 13 weeks after your 16th birthday and you are still in care now

It does not matter if the times you were in care was in a single period or over several different periods.

Relevant: 

You are aged 16 or 17 and have previously been eligible but are no longer in care.

Former relevant: 

You are aged 18 and up to 25 years who used to be an eligible or relevant young person. 

Qualifying: 

You are aged between 16 and up to your 21st birthday (up to 25 if in education) and were in care for less than 13 weeks on or after your 16th birthday but no longer looked after. 

You were looked after immediately prior to the making of a special guardianship order and are now 16 to 21 years old. 

You are aged 16 or 17, and have been living at home with your parents for a period of 6 months, previously having relevant leaving care status (and still under the age of 18).

Prepare to leave care

Before you turn 18 and to help you prepare to leave care, your social worker will introduce you to a personal advisor. Your personal advisor will:

• continue some of the role of a social worker
• help you become more independent and plan for the future

How your personal advisor can help

Keep in regular contact

Your PA will visit you regularly and they will be available if you need support. If your PA is not available you can contact a duty worker, or come into the hub for help. Your PA will continue working with you until you reach 21.

Between the ages of 21-25 you can still access support from the Care Leaver Service by contacting a duty worker or visiting the hub. The support you are offered will be dependant on your need.      

Offer advice

They can offer advice about the best routes to achieve your goals and will be a reliable adult for you to get support from.

Check your progress using your pathway plan

A pathway plan is something that you will complete with your social worker or PA when you become a care leaver.

The plan will set out your needs, views, goals and what support you will receive to help achieve these.      

It covers areas such as education, employment, health, finances, social needs, relationships and accommodation. It can help you and your worker to focus on what you need to do and will measure your achievements.      

We will review your plan with you regularly to make sure it is right for you.      

How to access your case files

As a care leaver, you have the right to access the files we have kept about you when you were in our care.

Viewing files can often help a person to make sense of and piece together their past. For many care leavers, accessing the records from their time in care can be a very positive experience. But sometimes the information can be stressful or upsetting.

Talk to your personal advisor before making a decision to see your files. If you don't have a personal advisor, contact us on 0113 378 1149 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).