Wigan Borough Council

Care leavers receive priority for social housing

Priority is offered up to the age of: 25

Banding priority is: A

Additional information / how to qualify:
Completion of usual registration form –Care Leaver is an option to tick and banding awarded automatically. Completion of form can be done by the young person or with help from worker.

Care leavers get to practice independent living with taster flats

Wigan Borough Council in principle will assist as a guarantor for care leavers in private rented property

Wigan Borough 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

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

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

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

Wigan Borough Council in principle will assist with support with broadband costs for care leavers

Wigan Borough Council in principle will assist with support with mobile phone costs for care leavers

Wigan Borough Council will pay towards cooking equipment for care leavers

Wigan Borough Council offers work experience within the council for care leavers

We are unable to confirm how many places per year

Wigan Borough Council will pay for work/interview clothes

Wigan Borough Council will pay towards travel to work or training

There are ringfenced apprenticeship vacancies for care leavers at Wigan Borough Council

We are unable to confirm how many are ringfenced a year

Care leavers are working as apprenticeships within Wigan Borough Council

We are unable to confirm the number per year

Additional information about work and training:
We have a number of young people who have been on apprenticeships but now have jobs in the LA.

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

Passport: Yes

Provisional Driving Licence: Yes

Birth Certificate: Yes

Wigan Borough Council in principle will assist with driving lessons

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

Wigan Borough Council in principle will assist with driving tests

Wigan Borough Council will not in principle assist with CBT tests

Partners local to Wigan Borough Council offer support with free travel for care leavers

Bus: Yes

Train / Tram: No

Additional details:
GM agreed bus pass deal 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:
On a regular basis throughout the year, corporate parents meet with Care Leavers in their “own home” (Care Leavers Hub).

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

Details of council:
Care Leavers Council is called Connected Families and is supported by new Participation Worker. We also have a Care Leavers Hub which has an extensive offer for care leavers to access and for those over 25 years to keep in touch with us.

Children in care and care leavers council has its own bank account

Children in care and care leavers council has its own constitution

Wigan Borough Council does not have peer mentors (other care leavers)

Wigan Borough Council has 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