Bath and North East Somerset Council

Care leavers receive priority for social housing

Priority is offered up to the age of: 25

Banding priority is: B

Additional information / how to qualify:
We ensure they have this and liaise directly with housing to ensure this is recorded so they can bid in the right band.

Care leavers do not get to practice independent living with taster flats

Bath and North East Somerset Council in principle will assist as a guarantor for care leavers in private rented property

Bath and North East Somerset Council in principle will assist with providing a deposit for care leavers in private rented property

Details:
Individual circumstances but usually deposit and months rent in advance

Care leavers are provided with a setting up allowance

Allowance amount: ££3,000

Bath and North East Somerset Council in principle will assist with support to pay at least the first year TV licence for care leavers

Bath and North East Somerset Council will not in principle assist with support to pay at least the first year home contents insurance for care leavers

Bath and North East Somerset Council in principle will assist with support to pay for redecoration costs of a care leavers first flat

Bath and North East Somerset Council in principle will assist with support with broadband costs for care leavers

Bath and North East Somerset Council will not in principle assist with support with mobile phone costs for care leavers

Bath and North East Somerset Council will pay towards cooking equipment for care leavers

Bath and North East Somerset Council offers work experience within the council for care leavers

Number of places per year: YES 3 PER YEAR . THIS IS BEING INCREASED.

Bath and North East Somerset Council will pay for work/interview clothes

Bath and North East Somerset Council will pay towards travel to work or training

There are ringfenced apprenticeship vacancies for care leavers at Bath and North East Somerset Council

2 apprenticeship vacancies are ringfenced a year

There are no care leavers working as apprenticeships within Bath and North East Somerset Council

Additional information about work and training:
We have an EET Mentor in the team who offers direct support to YP and consultations to PA’s.
We work with Reboot (Reboot Coaches support YP for up to 3 yrs)

Bath and North East Somerset Council will ensure each young person has ID documents when they leave care

Passport: Yes

Provisional Driving Licence: Yes

Birth Certificate: Yes

Bath and North East Somerset Council in principle will assist with driving lessons

Bath and North East Somerset Council in principle will assist with driving theory tests

Bath and North East Somerset Council in principle will assist with driving tests

Bath and North East Somerset Council in principle will assist with CBT tests

Partners local to Bath and North East Somerset Council do not offer support with free travel for care leavers

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

Care leavers do not have the opportunity for mentoring with any of the senior leadership team

Additional details:
We have just set up a mentor scheme across services in Bath and North East Somerset who will support care leavers which includes senior managers.

Bath and North East Somerset Council has a children in care and care leavers council

Details of council:
We have a specific Care Experienced Council – monthly meetings – approx. 8 regular attendees
Plus extra meals/events out – at our last meal 14 attended. We also have a Junior and Senior in Care Council.

Children in care and care leavers council does not have its own bank account

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

Details:
First face to face meeting since Covid of the Councils happened in July (6 attended) we have a core group of approx. 16. Ages range from 13-21 within core group. The Somerset In Care Council (SICC) and the Somerset Leaving Care Council (SLCC) can be reached through the following ways – Duty Phone held by Participation worker 07585983356; email [email protected] or via the link on the website.

Bath and North East Somerset Council does not have peer mentors (other care leavers)

Bath and North East Somerset Council has other mentoring schemes

Details:
We have just set up mentor scheme across services in Bath and North East Somerset who will support care leavers which includes senior managers.

Young people 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:
We liaise directly with access to records staff – we ensure the information is presented in files and that the YP is supported to read through if they would like and that there is a plan around how records are shared (not just sent electronically unless this is what they want)
We try and offer Life Story Work too so that they can understand their journey so they feel more informed and don’t feel the need to access their records as we know this can be hard.