Oxfordshire County Council

Care leavers receive priority for social housing

Priority is offered up to the age of: Up to 21 as routine, up to 25 subject to additional criteria.

Banding priority is: As a two-tier authority, this will depend on which city or district housing authority they are in, each one has a slightly different banding scheme.

Additional information / how to qualify:
1: Care leavers up to the age of 21 have an automatic priority need when it comes to homelessness – the outcome of a homelessness application can potentially lead to a main duty discharged via priority banding on the general housing register.
2: Care leavers who are leaving residential care, foster care, or supported housing may qualify for ‘Priority move on’. This means they can be given the highest priority banding for the general housing register.

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

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

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

Details:
We will help you to access rent deposit schemes (if these aren’t available, we will cover your first rent deposit). This deposit can be kept for the next time it is needed.

Care leavers are provided with a setting up allowance

Allowance amount: £For care leavers first accessing their Setting Up Home Allowance in 23/24, total amount between ages of 18-25 years inclusive is £3000. For care leavers who began accessing it in earlier years, the total is £2000.

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

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

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

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

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

Oxfordshire County Council will pay towards cooking equipment for care leavers

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

Number of places per year: Up to 5 per year

Oxfordshire County Council will pay for work/interview clothes

Oxfordshire County Council will pay towards travel to work or training

There are no ringfenced apprenticeship vacancies for care leavers at Oxfordshire County Council

Care leavers are working as apprenticeships within Oxfordshire County Council

Number per year: Variable. Approx 5 per year.

Additional information about work and training:
Education, Employment and Training Service and Virtual School offer casework to support NEET Care Leavers not in education, employment, or training to search and make applications.
A Business Champions network of employers offers work taster opportunities for Oxfordshire Care Leavers.
Drop-in sessions supported by Oxfordshire Care Leaver Association are held, plus peer mentoring to support towards EET.
EET Network in place to assist supported housing providers promote opportunities.
Commissioned supported housing provider has dedicated EET post. Signposting and bespoke support to engage in EET activities eg support with visits, applications, interview prep, essential equipment, concerns or negotiations with employers etc.
A reward incentive scheme is in place to encourage and reward care leavers engaging in education, employment, and training.

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

Passport: Yes

Provisional Driving Licence: Yes

Birth Certificate: Yes

Oxfordshire County Council in principle will assist with driving lessons

Oxfordshire County Council in principle will assist with driving theory tests

Oxfordshire County Council in principle will assist with driving tests

Oxfordshire County Council in principle will assist with CBT tests

Partners local to Oxfordshire 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

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

Details of council:
The CICC is open to any child in care or care leaver to attend, usually 30-50 children and young people attend a range of activities and events. Care leavers tend to come along as mentors to the younger children present and our Chairs of CiCC are care leavers. Care Leavers also sit on our CiCC Steering Group to help plan and organise events. There is a partnership approach with OCLA for care leavers to choose when they wish to move into older care leaver groups and opportunities.

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

Oxfordshire County Council has peer mentors (other care leavers)

Oxfordshire County Council has other mentoring schemes

Details:
Through Oxford House Project, CICC and OCLA.

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:
Frequent communication between leaving care service and Subject Access Request team after application made (if care leavers requests this) and before release to track and ensure necessary support is in place to anticipate records release. Current training offer in place for PAs and SAR team to ensure full support and understanding is in place.