Oldham Borough Council

Care leavers receive priority for social housing

Priority is offered up to the age of: 25

Banding priority is: Priority

Additional information / how to qualify:
Make an application at the earliest stage pre 18 years old.
Make application through the one stop service, where consideration of all the housing options dependant on needs will be considered.
Fortnightly multi agency meetings with housing assists with planning and working collaboratively to gain the correct accommodation
Staying put and shared lives is also an option

Care leavers get to practice independent living with taster flats

Additional information:
Taster flat
This is a flat that will be your own but will give you the opportunity to experience living independently without the added pressure of a tenancy agreement as it is managed by the After-Care Team. If, after a
period of time, you have been successful at managing this tenancy then we will sign it over to you completely
Some offers of taster flats managed by the voluntary sector

Oldham Borough Council will not in principle assist as a guarantor for care leavers in private rented property

Oldham Borough Council in principle will assist with providing a deposit for care leavers in private rented property

Details:
This can depend on the accommodation and access to the bond scheme in Oldham will be the preferred option.

Care leavers are provided with a setting up allowance

Allowance amount: £2000

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

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

Oldham Borough Council will not in principle assist with support to pay for redecoration costs of a care leavers first flat

Oldham Borough Council will not in principle assist with support with broadband costs for care leavers

Oldham Borough Council will not in principle assist with support with mobile phone costs for care leavers

Oldham Borough Council will pay towards cooking equipment for care leavers

Oldham Borough Council does not offer work experience within the council for care leavers

Oldham Borough Council will pay for work/interview clothes

Oldham Borough Council will pay towards travel to work or training

There are no ringfenced apprenticeship vacancies for care leavers at Oldham Borough Council

There are no care leavers working as apprenticeships within Oldham Borough Council

Additional information about work and training:
We want to consider work experience in house, rather than rely on the voluntary sector to provide.
Ringfenced apprenticeships is something that is being pushed for further alongside ringfenced interviews and specific support for care leavers who make applications

Oldham Borough Council will ensure each young person has ID documents when they leave care

Passport: Yes

Provisional Driving Licence: Yes

Birth Certificate: Yes

Oldham Borough Council in principle will assist with driving lessons

Oldham Borough Council will not in principle assist with driving theory tests

Oldham Borough Council will not in principle assist with driving tests

Oldham Borough Council in principle will assist with CBT tests

Partners local to Oldham Borough 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:
Quarterly corporate parenting meeting where there is a set agenda and themes that young people contribute to.
Shadowing days and events
Coram voice
meeting that senior management are invited to

Oldham Borough Council has a children in care and care leavers council

Details of council:
Oldham also has a Children in Care Council, which is for children looked after and for care leavers, where you can get involved in lots of opportunities and meet other young people. This varies and there is a younger and older group. For the older care leavers we have a virtual group and also a face book access point, where updates and provided.

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:
Oldham youth council have a constitution, which the children in care council are part of, however, the children in care council do not own a constitution on their own.

Oldham Borough Council has peer mentors (other care leavers)

Oldham Borough Council has other mentoring schemes

Details:
Peer mentoring
We feel that it would be helpful for you to be in touch with other care leavers. We can link you with a peer mentor who can support you through the journey of preparing to leave care and help you when
you have left. There are also opportunities for young people to train to become a peer mentor themselves, offering support to other young people leaving care.

Oldham’s children’s champion scheme
Oldham run a scheme for children looked after and care leavers, where you can request to be matched with a champion. The champion will be somebody who works in Oldham. This is a voluntary position, but they will form positive relationships with you and join you on social events, support you as you make choices and be a consistent person in your life. For some of our care leavers, they still have their champion way beyond the age of 25.

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:
You have a right to see the information we keep about you. If you apply, we will provide you with a copy of your social services
records.
Support depends but we request that care leavers request come to the team, therefore those will be supported pre and after file access as well as on-going if required

If you would like to see a copy of your file, please make a request in writing and give this to your PA