Kensington and Chelsea

Care leavers receive priority for social housing

Priority is offered up to the age of: 25

We are unable to confirm the banding priority

Additional information / how to qualify:
Young people are supported by their Personal Advisor and/or Social Worker through this process

Care leavers get to practice independent living with taster flats

Additional information:
Some do where available – we have a number of shared flats but most yp are supported in semi independent units until they are ready for final stage accommodation.

Kensington and Chelsea will not in principle assist as a guarantor for care leavers in private rented property

Kensington and Chelsea will not in principle assist with providing a deposit for care leavers in private rented property

Care leavers are provided with a setting up allowance

Allowance amount: £2000

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

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

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

Kensington and Chelsea will not in principle assist with support with broadband costs for care leavers

Kensington and Chelsea will not in principle assist with support with mobile phone costs for care leavers

Kensington and Chelsea will pay towards cooking equipment for care leavers

Kensington and Chelsea offers work experience within the council for care leavers

We are unable to confirm how many places per year

Kensington and Chelsea will pay for work/interview clothes

Kensington and Chelsea will pay towards travel to work or training

There are ringfenced apprenticeship vacancies for care leavers at Kensington and Chelsea

2 apprenticeship vacancies are ringfenced a year

Care leavers are working as apprenticeships within Kensington and Chelsea

Number per year: 4

Additional information about work and training:
We only recently established 2 ring fenced posts last year and supported them to take up Council apprenticeship. We hope these
numbers will increase year on year.

Family Services identifies training and employment opportunities which arise through a number of ways (School improvement advisors, Peabody, Princes’ Trust etc) through the Virtual school and pathway plans as routine. We have a number of young people attending and/or finishing university degrees

Kensington and Chelsea will ensure each young person has ID documents when they leave care

Passport: Yes

Provisional Driving Licence: Yes

Birth Certificate: Yes

Kensington and Chelsea in principle will assist with driving lessons

Kensington and Chelsea will not in principle assist with driving theory tests

Kensington and Chelsea in principle will assist with driving tests

Kensington and Chelsea in principle will assist with CBT tests

Partners local to Kensington and Chelsea offer support with free travel for care leavers

Bus: Yes

Train / Tram: Yes

Additional details:
This is available through the local job centre

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:
We run a programme each summer in which young people have the chance to participate in work experience

Kensington and Chelsea has a children in care and care leavers council

Details of council:
We have CICC for 8 – 15 year olds and a Care Leavers forum for 16 +. For CICC, 13 children attend. Care Leavers forum 15 young people.

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

Kensington and Chelsea has peer mentors (other care leavers)

Kensington and Chelsea has other mentoring schemes

Details:
Independent Visitors s scheme has been extended to Care Leavers.

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:
if young person remains allocated to a Personal Advisor or Social Worker then they will support them in this work – those over
25 will receive support through our equivalent complaints department who will as appropriate seek guidance from our leaving care service