Worcestershire County Council

Care leavers receive priority for social housing

Priority is offered up to the age of: 25

Banding priority is: Top Banding

Additional information / how to qualify:
PA support to notify housing , working with housing SPOC.

Care leavers get to practice independent living with taster flats

Additional information:
WCF have 24 Semi Independent properties for Care Leavers aged 16-18, ASDAN support
provided by the service.

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

Worcestershire County Council will not in principle assist with providing a deposit for care leavers in private rented property

Care leavers are provided with a setting up allowance

Allowance amount: £3000

Worcestershire County Council will not in principle assist with support to pay at least the first year TV licence for care leavers

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

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

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

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

Worcestershire County Council will pay towards cooking equipment for care leavers

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

We are unable to confirm how many places per year

Worcestershire County Council will pay for work/interview clothes

Worcestershire County Council will pay towards travel to work or training

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

Care leavers are working as apprenticeships within Worcestershire County Council

Number per year: This is not ringfenced at this time but we are reviewing the apprenticeship strategy to include a % of Care Leavers per year for jobs in the council .

Additional information about work and training:
We have created a permanent role for a Care Experienced Mentor in our Participation team.
WCF support Care Leavers to apply for roles in our service and Council. We have 3 FT
employees in WCF.
Our PA team currently employs a Care Leaver from another geographical area on a FT
basis. Until recently (2023) WCF had a Worcestershire Care Leaver working as a full time
PA , now left the role to pursue higher education.
WCF includes a Social Value Request in all new Council Tenders/contracts so that any
award must include employment /apprenticeship /training /access to resources/discounts for
Care Leavers. This has provided agreed apprenticeships already when contracts start in
2024 for school builds. Other offers are already being accessed by our young people through
our contracted partners.
WCF are running a pilot in September to move 10 Care Leavers into Apprenticeships under
new funding increases. We have already collated 21 names for the Pilot so are looking to
increase scope.
WCF are holding a business event in Worcestershire in collaboration with Care Leavers
Covenant to create a Worcestershire offer for our Care Leavers ….We have already signed
up a major insurance employer in Worcestershire. This will potentially include discounted
Insurance products for Care Leavers and will be added to CLC page along-side an
employment/training offer. We aim to have 50 business pledge support at our event with a
view to working with CLC to create employments offers.

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

Passport: Yes

Provisional Driving Licence: Yes

Birth Certificate: Yes

Worcestershire County Council in principle will assist with driving lessons

Worcestershire County Council in principle will assist with driving theory tests

Worcestershire County Council will not in principle assist with driving tests

Worcestershire County Council in principle will assist with CBT tests

Partners local to Worcestershire 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

Additional details:
• Young People from our Participation Group attend Corporate Parenting Board .
• Group Manager has begun a consultation with a cohort of Care Leavers to develop a
wider network of views to inform practice in the service, to develop task groups around local
offer , social media, participation and so on.
• Senior Managers meet with our Care Leavers through our Connect Scheme. 1 to 1
social /relational time spent with each other after a matching process.

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

Details of council:
[email protected]

Actions Speak
16-25 years of age.
6 Active Attendees, 18 Members
Who Cares We Care
11-17 Looked After Children
8 Active Members
Young Peoples Interview Panel
This is a group of young people aged 12-25 years old, who are a crucial part of the
employment process and are trained to sit on recruitment panels.

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:
Information not held or known.

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

Worcestershire County Council does not have other mentoring schemes

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:
Connect Scheme matches a WCF employee who volunteers time to a Care Leavers. We
match up and provide funding and time for relationship based social time as
agreed/arranged by both.