Torfaen County Borough Council

Care leavers receive priority for social housing

Priority is offered up to the age of: 21

Banding priority is: Gold

Additional information / how to qualify:
Accommodation needs are discussed at Pathway Plan review between age 16-21. At the point where it is agreed that YP will apply for social housing the YPA/SW will confirm that gold banding should be activated .

Care leavers get to practice independent living with taster flats

Additional information:
Recent developments within housing and social care locally have enabled young people to access shorter term tenancies to ‘test’ if ready for independence with the support agency holding the tenancy on behalf of the YP to allow for mistakes to be made safely. If YP not ready then alternatives provided where/when possible.

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

Torfaen County Borough 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: £Up to £1500

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

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

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

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

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

Torfaen County Borough Council will pay towards cooking equipment for care leavers

Torfaen County Borough Council offers work experience within the council for care leavers

Number of places per year: Varies in partnership with other schemes

Torfaen County Borough Council will pay for work/interview clothes

Torfaen County Borough Council will pay towards travel to work or training

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

There are no care leavers working as apprenticeships within Torfaen County Borough Council

Additional information about work and training:
Support to attend interviews
Advice and discussions with YP as the ‘corporate parenting’
Finance for work clothing etc
Finance for equipment
Provision of Laptops – currently via St Davids

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

Passport: Yes

Provisional Driving Licence: Yes

Birth Certificate: Yes

Torfaen County Borough Council in principle will assist with driving lessons

Torfaen County Borough Council in principle will assist with driving theory tests

Torfaen County Borough Council in principle will assist with driving tests

Torfaen County Borough Council in principle will assist with CBT tests

Partners local to Torfaen County Borough Council do not offer support with free travel for care leavers

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

Torfaen County Borough Council does not have a children in care and care leavers council

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

Torfaen County Borough Council does not have other mentoring schemes

Details:
We did have a mentoring scheme in place but other demands across the service area meant resources diverted to front line SW support .

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:
SW to physically support the YP with accessing their information in a timely manner and with due care attention and sensitivity to supporting them through this process.