Cheshire West and Chester Council

Care leavers receive priority for social housing

Priority is offered up to the age of: 25

Banding priority is: A

Additional information / how to qualify:
Young People who have an allocated Social Worker or Personal Advisor will be supported to complete their housing application, and were appropriate supporting letters provided. For any young person completing a housing application post 21 years and who is no longer accessing support from Children’s Services it is important they select the option which states they are a Care Leaver on the housing application form to ensure they are placed in the correct priority banding.

Young People post 21 can also request support from the Supporting Independence Team if they find themselves in difficulties with their housing situation.

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

Cheshire West and Chester Council will not in principle assist as a guarantor for care leavers in private rented property

Cheshire West and Chester Council in principle will assist with providing a deposit for care leavers in private rented property

Details:
Bond scheme and setting up allowance

Care leavers are provided with a setting up allowance

Allowance amount: ££2000

Cheshire West and Chester Council will not in principle assist with support to pay at least the first year TV licence for care leavers

Cheshire West and Chester Council will not in principle assist with support to pay at least the first year home contents insurance for care leavers

Cheshire West and Chester Council in principle will assist with support to pay for redecoration costs of a care leavers first flat

Cheshire West and Chester Council in principle will assist with support with broadband costs for care leavers

Cheshire West and Chester Council in principle will assist with support with mobile phone costs for care leavers

Cheshire West and Chester Council will pay towards cooking equipment for care leavers

Cheshire West and Chester Council offers work experience within the council for care leavers

We are unable to confirm how many places per year

Cheshire West and Chester Council will pay for work/interview clothes

Cheshire West and Chester Council will pay towards travel to work or training

There are ringfenced apprenticeship vacancies for care leavers at Cheshire West and Chester Council

5 apprenticeship vacancies are ringfenced a year

Care leavers are working as apprenticeships within Cheshire West and Chester Council

We are unable to confirm the number per year

Additional information about work and training:
Young Peoples Services work with all care leavers post 16 years. We offer 1-1 support to ascertain their wishes and feelings around education, employment and training. We then offer a bespoke package of support to empower the young person to be ready for one of those environments. This could be confidence building with interview techniques, CV writing or help with applications and job searches as examples.

We have a specific member of the team who is working directly with local employers and national organisations to advocate and empower all aspects of work and work experience for care leavers.

Cheshire West and Chester Council will ensure each young person has ID documents when they leave care

Passport: Yes

Provisional Driving Licence: Yes

Birth Certificate: Yes

Cheshire West and Chester Council in principle will assist with driving lessons

Cheshire West and Chester Council in principle will assist with driving theory tests

Cheshire West and Chester Council in principle will assist with driving tests

Cheshire West and Chester Council in principle will assist with CBT tests

Partners local to Cheshire West and Chester Council offer support with free travel for care leavers

Bus: Yes

Train / Tram: No

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:
Cheshire West and Chester have hosted ‘Take Over Day’ annually (excluding COVID 19 Pandemic) where care leavers are given the opportunity to shadow and work alongside senior leadership in an area of their choice. Care Leavers are also given the opportunity to join our CICC ‘older’ group which allows them to work alongside senior leadership and Councilors to inform service delivery.
Cheshire West and Chester Council launched its Corporate Parenting Strategy in March 2023, in which there is a clear commitment to utilize our ‘family business’ to ensure that as young adults our care leavers are given every opportunity to thrive as adults, part of the offer which is currently in development will be to offer mentors across the council, members and partner agencies.

Cheshire West and Chester Council has a children in care and care leavers council

Details of council:
The Older CICC is for YP aged 16-25 years.
It has around 9-10 members who attend both online and in person regular monthly meetings.
This group is currently made up of predominantly care leavers.
The older CICC is instrumental in enabling young people to influence service design, delivery, and evaluation withing Cheshire West & Chester Council.

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

Children in care and care leavers council has its own constitution

Details:
The CICC does have a constitution which fully explains the purpose and remit of the group.
It also explains things like membership eligibility, available support for CHYP, ground rules and expectations of both staff and young people.

Cheshire West and Chester Council does not have peer mentors (other care leavers)

Cheshire West and Chester Council does not have other mentoring schemes

Details:
The Council does not have a defined mentor scheme for Care Leavers, however on a needs basis we do link peers as mentors and arrange mentorships for care leavers with senior leadership and/ or Councillors if this is an expressed interests of a young Person.

It is proposed that a defined mentor scheme will be developed over the coming 12 months in line with our Corporate Parenting Strategy.

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:
Young People can express a wish to their Social Worker/ Personal Advisor who will support in accessing care files.

Young People will be offered the opportunity to view files with a Social Care Professional and additional visiting, monitoring of welfare will be undertaken during this period by key adults, for example Personal Advisors, support staff etc.

Should it be identified that specific emotional support is required this will also be offered.