Staffordshire County Council

Care leavers receive priority for social housing

Priority is offered up to the age of: Up to age 21. However, if we are working with over 21’s, who have particular vulnerabilities, and where housing have placed them in a lower banding; our Housing Personal advisor will support the young person to challenge housing authorities to try to get

Banding priority is: A

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

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

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

Care leavers are provided with a setting up allowance

Allowance amount: ££3000

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

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

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

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

Staffordshire County Council will not in principle assist with support with mobile phone costs for care leavers

Staffordshire County Council will pay towards cooking equipment for care leavers

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

Number of places per year: varies

Staffordshire County Council will pay for work/interview clothes

Staffordshire County Council will pay towards travel to work or training

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

Care leavers are working as apprenticeships within Staffordshire County Council

Number per year: varies

Additional information about work and training:
We offer a Foundation to Employment Programme
The Foundations to Employment project offer a work placement to young people who are leaving or have left care and are not employed or in education/training. Our F2E officer will source placements, and will offer intensive support throughout the duration of the 10 week placement to ensure that the young person is supported and encourage to engage. Towards the end of the placement the F2E officer works with the PA to support the young person to move into full time employment after the placement has ended, either within the company where their placement has taken place, or for another company in the same area of work.
Young people who engage with F2E are paid a financial incentive of £20 a day for attending, up to 5 days a week for a maximum of 10 weeks.
We also support young people with travel costs for them to attend their work placement
Prior to starting the work placement, young people are supported to complete ‘Go For It’ which is a short employability course, for which they receive £25 on completion

We have put a task and finish group together, including careers and participation services, to write a ‘directory of opportunities’ which will include details of any training/employment opportunities in all our departments, that the LA can offer to care leavers.

We have recently developed an Apprenticeships, Jobs and Work Experience Protocol for Care Leavers. This was finalised and signed off on 30th June and will be built into our practice moving forward. The overall aim of the protocol is to ensure that the appropriate people in the social care teams and the skills teams work together to get positive and sustained outcomes for Care Leavers.

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

Passport: Yes

Provisional Driving Licence: Yes

Birth Certificate: Yes

Staffordshire County Council in principle will assist with driving lessons

Staffordshire County Council in principle will assist with driving theory tests

Staffordshire County Council in principle will assist with driving tests

Staffordshire County Council in principle will assist with CBT tests

Partners local to Staffordshire 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 have the opportunity for mentoring with any of the senior leadership team

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

Details of council:
We have a number of groups and monthly forums run by the Voice project. Currently we have groups in Stafford and Burton, with another one to be opened in Newcastle.
Attendance varies

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

Staffordshire County Council has peer mentors (other care leavers)

Staffordshire County Council has other mentoring schemes

Details:
We have a Care Leaver mentoring scheme, which involved county council employees acting as mentors for young people, they can offer advice, guidance and befriending to our young people

Young people do not have to go through the complaints dept to access their care files

Young people who access their care files do not get emotional support before, during and after disclosure

Details:
Access to care files - we will give emotional support even post 25.