The support we must give you by law
There is certain support which we must give you by law.
This includes:
You can also read more about:
- leaving care before turning 18
- support to engage in education, training or employment
- your right to be heard and taken seriously
A pathway worker
Following changes introduced through the Children and Social Work Act 2017, you'll be able to ask to have support from a pathway worker up to the age of 25 whether you are in education or training or not. This is to try to make sure you receive similar support to young adults who live with their families.
We'll try to let you keep the same pathway worker, though this will not always be possible. The amount of support that you require from the pathways team will depend on your circumstances.
A pathway plan
Your pathway plan is written by your social worker or your pathway worker after consultation with you and important people in your life. Your pathway plan is unique to you. It sets out your needs, your views, your future goals, and exactly what support you will receive from us. We'll review your pathway plan at least every 6 months, or if your circumstances change.
Leaving care before turning 18
We'll encourage you to stay in care until you are 18. Most young people still live at home with their families at this age.
If you choose to leave care before age 18, we must provide you with suitable accommodation.
Support to engage in education, training or employment (ETE)
We want to make sure every young person leaving care has the support to achieve their goals in life.
The law says we must provide you with assistance with expenses linked with employment, education and training. In particular:
- we'll provide you with a Higher Education (HE) bursary of at least £2,000 if you go to university
- we'll provide somewhere for you to stay during university holidays (or funding for this if you would prefer to make your own arrangements) if you are in HE or in residential further education
Your right to be heard and taken seriously
You have a right to be involved in all decisions about your plans for leaving care and you have a right to support from an independent advocate if you're thinking about challenging decisions about the care we give you. In addition, you have a right to see the information we keep about you, including the files and records written about you when you were in care.
