Lancashire County Council

Care leavers receive priority for social housing

Priority is offered up to the age of: Priority banding varies depending on district and young person's circumstances.

We are unable to confirm the banding priority

Additional information / how to qualify:

There are 5 choice based letting schemes that cover the area of the 12 district councils within the boundaries of Lancashire County Council. All districts/schemes give some level of priority banding to care leavers but this differs depending on the young person's circumstances and at what stage the young person needs to access social housing.
Lancashire has a Joint Housing Protocol to support access to social housing for care experienced young people and Leaving Care Housing Advisors to provide advice, guidance and liaise between the leaving care service, district councils and landlords.

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

Lancashire County Council will not in principle assist as a guarantor for care leavers in private rented property

Lancashire County Council in principle will assist with providing a deposit for care leavers in private rented property

Details:
Will fund one deposit equivale to one month rent and one month advance rent both up to 20% above LHA; Continued monthly rent contributions to cover rent exceeding LHA by up to 20% until 21st birthday.

Care leavers are provided with a setting up allowance

Allowance amount: ££2450- currently under review to increase to £3000.-

Lancashire County Council in principle will assist with support to pay at least the first year TV licence for care leavers

Lancashire County Council in principle will assist with support to pay at least the first year home contents insurance for care leavers

Lancashire County Council in principle will assist with support to pay for redecoration costs of a care leavers first flat

Lancashire County Council in principle will assist with support with broadband costs for care leavers

Lancashire County Council in principle will assist with support with mobile phone costs for care leavers

Lancashire County Council will pay towards cooking equipment for care leavers

Lancashire County Council offers work experience within the council for care leavers

Number of places per year: This varies depending on young people's preferences and matching. Last year, April 22-Mar-23 we provided 6 work experience placements for care experienced young people internally.

Lancashire County Council will pay for work/interview clothes

Lancashire County Council will pay towards travel to work or training

There are ringfenced apprenticeship vacancies for care leavers at Lancashire County Council

Depends on what is avaialble apprenticeship vacancies are ringfenced a year

Care leavers are working as apprenticeships within Lancashire County Council

Number per year: We have supported care experienced young people to complete apprenticeships internally since 2019 and have a number of care experienced young people as permanent employees within the council. The number of apprenticeships varies depending on young people'

Additional information about work and training:

All care leavers within Lancashire have access to an Employment Officer within Virtual School to support them into employment in both private and public sector. We provide funding to help remove barriers so we can support with short courses, work clothing, technology equipment, a salary contribution to help them get started, tuition, work equipment costs, bus passes or bikes to get to work/college.
We support with a university bursary for those wishing to go into Higher Education. We work young person outwards listening to their needs and what they want then sourcing appropriate opportunities where we can.
The Virtual School tracks a young person's intended destination up to the end of year 13.
We facilitated an EET Network Event co-produced by young people with local employers and education providers in June 2023.

Lancashire County Council will ensure each young person has ID documents when they leave care

Passport: Yes

Provisional Driving Licence: Yes

Birth Certificate: Yes

Lancashire County Council in principle will assist with driving lessons

Lancashire County Council in principle will assist with driving theory tests

Lancashire County Council in principle will assist with driving tests

Lancashire County Council in principle will assist with CBT tests

Partners local to Lancashire County 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:
Care Leavers Forum and CICC attend CPB.
Currently have 2 care experienced young people that are employed by LCC. They are involved in a project looking at mentoring particularly for care leavers in HE. Previous approaches did not deliver the desired impact.

Lancashire County Council has a children in care and care leavers council

Details of council:
LINX - Children In Care Council for children and young people aged 8-17 years old.
Numbers: 13 across Lancashire

Care Leaver Forum for young people aged 18-25 years old.
Numbers: 12 across Lancashire

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:
Please contact [email protected]

Lancashire County Council does not have peer mentors (other care leavers)

Lancashire County Council does not have other mentoring schemes

Details:

Lancashire has an informal mentoring offer for young people participating in specific projects with our two care experienced development workers that have been employed by Lancashire County Council since 2018. As part of their role, they meet other children and young people during group work sessions, consultations and co-design sessions and act as positive role models.

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:

Support is offered to every young person by their Personal Advisor, if they choose to inform us about their request to access their files. Emotional support is provided upon request as we respect that the request to access care files is a personal and confidential choice.