St Helens Borough Council has made care experience a protected characteristic.
Care Leaver Local Offer
St Helens Borough Council has published a Local Offer for Care Leavers in accordance with Section 2 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017
The Local Offer is available:
on the web: Yes - view Local Offer here
as a document: Download Ofsted Children's Services Inspection Download Children's Services Monitoring Visit Download Children's Services Monitoring Visit Download Ofsted Children's Services Inspection
as an app: No
At St Helens Borough Council care leavers do not co-produce the local offer.
The Director responsible for Children's Services is:
Name:
Ms Hilary Brooks
Email Address:
[email protected]
Council Tax
St Helens Borough Council has exempted care leavers from Council Tax
Council tax is exempted up to the age of: 25
St Helens Borough Council includes care leavers from other areas in their council tax exemption policy
To apply care leavers need to:
If you are a Care Leaver aged 18-25 and living in the St Helens area in your own tenancy, you do not need to pay for council tax under the Council Tax Discretionary Discount Policy. The discount will cease on your 25th birthday. Your Personal Adviser will support you to complete the Care Leaver's Discount Application Form.
If you have a joint tenancy you will be provided with 25% discount. Your Personal Adviser or Social Worker will discuss this with you.
If you are living outside of the St Helens locality, your Personal Adviser will support you to make a request to the specific local authority to establish if you have entitlements under their discretionary discount policy. If you are not entitled to any discounts, your Personal Adviser will discuss this with the Team Manager and the local authority will fund your council tax.
Housing
Care leavers do not receive priority for social housing
Care leavers do not get to practice independent living with taster flats
St Helens Borough Council will not in principle assist as a guarantor for care leavers in private rented property
St Helens Borough Council in principle will assist with providing a deposit for care leavers in private rented property
Details:
Only if unable to access social housing and I need support with a deposit/bond and/or advanced rent payment. This has been agreed by the Local Authority
Setting up a home
Care leavers are provided with a setting up allowance
Allowance amount: £2000
St Helens Borough Council will not in principle assist with support to pay at least the first year TV licence for care leavers
St Helens Borough Council will not in principle assist with support to pay at least the first year home contents insurance for care leavers
St Helens Borough Council will not in principle assist with support to pay for redecoration costs of a care leavers first flat
St Helens Borough Council will not in principle assist with support with broadband costs for care leavers
St Helens Borough Council will not in principle assist with support with mobile phone costs for care leavers
St Helens Borough Council will not pay towards cooking equipment for care leavers
Employment and Apprenticeships
St Helens Borough Council does not offer work experience within the council for care leavers
St Helens Borough Council will not pay for work/interview clothes
St Helens Borough Council will pay towards travel to work or training
There are no ringfenced apprenticeship vacancies for care leavers at St Helens Borough Council
Care leavers are working as apprenticeships within St Helens Borough Council
Number per year: 2
Additional information about work and training:
There is a report in the resources section of this website
Participation in Society
St Helens Borough Council will ensure each young person has ID documents when they leave care
Passport: Yes
Provisional Driving Licence: Yes
Birth Certificate: No
St Helens Borough Council in principle will assist with driving lessons
St Helens Borough Council in principle will assist with driving theory tests
St Helens Borough Council in principle will assist with driving tests
St Helens Borough Council will not in principle assist with CBT tests
Partners local to St Helens Borough Council do not offer support with free travel for care leavers
Access to corporate parents
Care leavers do not 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
Children in care and care leavers council
St Helens Borough Council has a children in care and care leavers council
Details of council:
The Care Leavers Group is for Care Leavers aged 15-25. The group meet on a monthly basis and sometimes more frequently if there are specific projects they are working on. We will support you with transport if you need to get to the group.
Contact
Helen Sharratt, Children and Young Peoples Consultation Officer
01744 671866
[email protected]
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
Health and Wellbeing
Care leavers get free access to leisure facilities as part of the Local Offer
Free gym membership: Yes
Free swimming: No
Free classes: No
Free leisure up to the age of: 21
They cannot take a friend for free
Details to apply:
If you are an Eligible, Relevant or Former Relevant young person, you will be entitled to receive a gym membership from a local authority leisure facility. If there is any reason you are not able to attend a local authority gym, you will speak to your Personal Adviser and they will make a request to the team manager to request an alternative leisure facility. If you are not using this membership, the local authority will review it and may withdraw the membership.
Special Occasions
St Helens Borough Council pays towards Christmas and other religious celebrations for care leavers
Details:
Christmas allowance or another other religious celebration allowance if I am living in semi-independence or independently.
£101.16 per year from age 16-18 and your first Christmas after you are 18
St Helens Borough Council pays towards birthday celebrations for care leavers
Details:
Setting-up home allowance when I am living independently
£101.16 per year from age 16-18 and 21
Relationships
St Helens Borough Council does not have peer mentors (other care leavers)
St Helens Borough Council does not have other mentoring schemes
Access to care files
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 Records Officer (Children and young people)
St Helens Council
Atlas House
Corporation Street
St Helens
WA9 1LD
Facts and Figures
Number of looked after children since 2014
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 412 | 410 | 427 | 442 | 466 | 496 | 478 | 470 | 469 |
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Number of care leavers by age, year ending 31st March 2021
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | Total | 54 | 34 | 43 | 46 | 40 | 18 | 24 | 31 | 22 | 312 |
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Percentage of care leavers going onto NEET since 2014
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 52% | n/a | 57% | 47% | 46% | 48% | 38% |
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Political Control
St Helens Borough Council is a Labour controlled council
Ofsted Ratings
Publication date: 04 September 2023
Overall effectiveness: Good
Experiences and progress of children in care: Good
Experiences and progress of care leavers: Outstanding
Impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families: Good
If you think this information needs updating then please get in touch