Barnet

Care leavers receive priority for social housing

Priority is offered up to the age of: 25

Banding priority is: Priority 2. Some exemptions may apply

Additional information / how to qualify:
Please see https://www.itsaboutme.org.uk/pages/care-leavers-local-offer. And more information is available via the Joint Housing protocol

Care leavers get to practice independent living with taster flats

Additional information:
Options are available for young people via the Barnet Moving Forward project. In-house provision in Barnet offered as part of preparation for independent living for care leavers. These are stand-alone properties for single and group living with outreach and key work support. Access is via a referral and assessment by a young person’s PA. Eligibility criteria apply.

Barnet in principle will assist as a guarantor for care leavers in private rented property

Details:
Guarantor support is available following a Needs Assessment via the young person’s PA. Other support (restrictions apply) including schemes that don’t require Guarantor support is available, for example via Let2 Barnet www.let2barnet.co.uk

Barnet in principle will assist with providing a deposit for care leavers in private rented property

Details:
Rent deposit support is via an assessment on a case by case basis. Other support is available, principally via Let2 Barnet

Care leavers are provided with a setting up allowance

Allowance amount: £2000

Barnet will not in principle assist with support to pay at least the first year TV licence for care leavers

Barnet will not in principle assist with support to pay at least the first year home contents insurance for care leavers

Barnet will not in principle assist with support to pay for redecoration costs of a care leavers first flat

Barnet will not in principle assist with support with broadband costs for care leavers

Barnet will not in principle assist with support with mobile phone costs for care leavers

Barnet will not pay towards cooking equipment for care leavers

Barnet offers work experience within the council for care leavers

Number of places per year: We have no set limit

Barnet will pay for work/interview clothes

Barnet will pay towards travel to work or training

There are ringfenced apprenticeship vacancies for care leavers at Barnet

We have no set limit apprenticeship vacancies are ringfenced a year

Care leavers are working as apprenticeships within Barnet

Number per year: 8

Additional information about work and training:
At Barnet we want to ensure all of our apprentices feel valued and have all the support they need in order to achieve. All apprentices have regular meetings with their line managers and mentors thoughout their programme. We also acknowledge the work of all our apprentices with an apprentice of the year category at our staff awards.

Barnet will ensure each young person has ID documents when they leave care

Passport: Yes

Provisional Driving Licence: Yes

Birth Certificate: Yes

Barnet in principle will assist with driving lessons

Barnet in principle will assist with driving theory tests

Barnet in principle will assist with driving tests

Barnet in principle will assist with CBT tests

Partners local to Barnet offer support with free travel for care leavers

Bus: No

Train / Tram: No

Additional details:
Young people aged under 18 and based in London, can apply for a Zip Oyster photocard which enables them to travel at half adult-rate on all TfL services and most National Rail services in London. If they live in London they may be eligible to travel for free on buses and trams. Students aged over 18 and based in London, attending a course at a school, college or university in London can apply for an 18+ Student Oyster Card to get 30% off the price of adult-rate travelcards and Bus & Tram Pass season tickets. All students can also apply for rail cards and other travel related discounts, and should be supported by
their allocated worker to explore what discounts they may be eligible for, especially when studying outside of London.

Care leavers have the opportunity to meet with their corporate parents (councillors)

Care leavers have the opportunity for mentoring with any of the senior leadership team

Additional details:
Care Leavers are represented on the Corporate Parenting Advisory Panel (CPAP) in Barnet.
Via events such as ‘Take Over’ days/activities.

Barnet has a children in care and care leavers council

Details of council:
6 attendees.

Children in care and care leavers council has its own bank account

Children in care and care leavers council does not have its own constitution

Barnet has peer mentors (other care leavers)

Barnet has other mentoring schemes

Details:
Within the Barnet Leaving Care staff team is an Expert by Experience – a full time member of staff who is a care experienced young person. As part of her brief she offers informal mentoring support and facilitates Strengths and Resilience groups – peer mentoring support. Barnet also refers young people to Friendship Works, Care Leavers Mentoring Service. This is a service provided Family Action.

Young people do not have to go through the complaints dept to access their care files

Young people who access their care files get emotional support before, during and after disclosure

Details:
There is a Life Story Work (LSW) lead embedded within the Barnet Leaving Care team. The LSW lead offers support to young people and consultation to PAs to support young people who would like to/have access their care files. The Leaving Care team in Barnet offers in-house therapeutic support to care experiences young people, this is via a partnership with Terapia, a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy and Counselling training organisation. Terapia provides highly specialised counselling, psychotherapy and bespoke mental health services for young people, children, parents and families.