Young people in care
Many young people in care face multiple barriers in their lives. In addition it may be that they will experience changing circumstances more than most. This could mean that they move home and change school quite often.
Wherever a young person may move to within England, they will still be able to talk to a Connexions Personal Adviser who can help them with their plans for the future. They can talk to their Personal Adviser in school or college or they can visit the Connexions Centre local to their home.
Care Leavers
Care Leavers is a term used to define those young people who are eligible for a service under the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000.
To be eligible a young person must:
- Be aged 15+
- Have been in care for at least 13 weeks since age 14
- Be currently classed as ‘Looked After’
- Have a Care Plan stating that the young person will remain in care after the age of 16 and then through to independence.
Care Leavers will be aged 16 – 21 years (up to 24 years if they are still in education or training).
Personal Advisers from the Through Care service in Staffordshire or the Young Person’s teams in Stoke-on-Trent will provide support to Care Leavers.
Both Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council provide a service which offers support to young people who have been looked after by the local authority.
To contact Staffordshire County Council’s Through Care service, call 01782 296290.
To contact Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Young Person's team, call 01782 233575 or 07717 714115 (this number is for the use of young people/service users only).
In Education
Visit the Money for Study in our Parents & Carers section to find information on financial help for young people whilst in education.
Universities may offer additional support for students who have been in care. It’s worth checking out their websites and prospectuses for details.
