Leicestershire County Council

Care leavers receive priority for social housing

Priority is offered up to the age of: 25

Banding priority is: Banding 2

Additional information / how to qualify:
They will be supported by their PA to make an application to housing (if they are wanting to go into social housing) at the age of 17.5 years, as agreed in our Joint Protocol. Everything that is required will be uploaded to their application by the time they are 18 years old to be able to be assessed by housing application system.

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

Leicestershire County Council in principle will assist as a guarantor for care leavers in private rented property

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

Details:
*We will also pay the first month’s rent whether they are in private or social housing.

Care leavers are provided with a setting up allowance

Allowance amount: £3000

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

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

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

Leicestershire County Council will not in principle assist with support with broadband costs for care leavers

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

Leicestershire County Council will pay towards cooking equipment for care leavers

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

Number of places per year: We are in the process of rolling this out

Leicestershire County Council will pay for work/interview clothes

Leicestershire County Council will pay towards travel to work or training

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

We had 9 posts 2019 -2021 apprenticeship vacancies are ringfenced a year

There are no care leavers working as apprenticeships within Leicestershire County Council

Additional information about work and training:
We support Care Leaver to attend University and provide a £4000 bursary a year throughout their course, and if care leavers attend University over the age of 25 we continue to support them with the bursary until the end of their course.
We work closely with charities that provide support and resources to Care Leavers.

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

Passport: Yes

Provisional Driving Licence: Yes

Birth Certificate: Yes

Leicestershire County Council in principle will assist with driving lessons

Leicestershire County Council in principle will assist with driving theory tests

Leicestershire County Council in principle will assist with driving tests

Leicestershire County Council in principle will assist with CBT tests

Partners local to Leicestershire 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

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

Details of council:
Children in Care Council have between 8-10 attendees 12-18; they also have senior council members who support the participation officer in running the CIC (Children in Care) Council.
Care Leaver Council have between 5-10 attendees 18-25.
However, we also run a group once a month call Supporting Young People After Care (SYPAC); this is a group that is life long and care leavers can attend to whatever age they want to and will always be welcomed.

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

Children in care and care leavers council has its own constitution

Details:
As stated above, our Care Leaver Council work with us closely to revise and review Terms of Reference for the Care Leaver Council.

Leicestershire County Council has peer mentors (other care leavers)

Leicestershire County Council has other mentoring schemes

Details:
We have developed a mentoring scheme for care leavers to support children in care. There are 6 sessions of training before they become mentors and they will be matched with children. This is being delivered by a Care Leaver who has developed this as his business.

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:
PAs support their young people to make requests; however, every child in care after turning 18 will get a lifelong letter from their social worker with a summary of their history, which their social worker will go through with them prior to the young person transferring to the PA’s responsibility.