Aberdeenshire Council

Care leavers receive priority for social housing

Priority is offered up to the age of: When first leave care placement

Banding priority is: Band A

Additional information / how to qualify:
TCAC flag care experienced people to housing colleagues via our Youth Housing Forum meetings held 6-weekly.

Care leavers get to practice independent living with taster flats

Additional information:
two taster properties available in Aberdeenshire. Young people can have as many trial periods as they require, lasting from one day up to a maximum period of 3 weeks at any one time.

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

Details:
This is discretionary but particularly for young people accessing student accommodation for which we pay the rent of students in receipt of a Care Experienced bursary and for whom we have financial responsibilities. We have been occasionally asked to act as Guarantor for other privately rented accommodation for which we accept responsibility for payment of rent only.

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

Details:
Where necessary, we will pay a deposit on a privately rented property, however make it clear to the landlord the deposit needs to be returned to the council rather than the young person at the end of tenure. More recently, this is not so commonly requested, as landlords are not seeking deposits routinely.

Care leavers are provided with a setting up allowance

Allowance amount: £This is a discretionary payment administered on a needs led basis.

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

Aberdeenshire Council in principle will assist with support to pay at least the first year home contents insurance for care leavers

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

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

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

Aberdeenshire Council will pay towards cooking equipment for care leavers

Aberdeenshire Council offers work experience within the council for care leavers

Number of places per year: VARIES

Aberdeenshire Council will pay for work/interview clothes

Aberdeenshire Council will pay towards travel to work or training

There are ringfenced apprenticeship vacancies for care leavers at Aberdeenshire Council

VARIES apprenticeship vacancies are ringfenced a year

Care leavers are working as apprenticeships within Aberdeenshire Council

Number per year: Unknown

Additional information about work and training:
Family Firm, full time TCAC specialist post for Education Training and Employment

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

Passport: Yes

Provisional Driving Licence: Yes

Birth Certificate: Yes

Aberdeenshire Council in principle will assist with driving lessons

Aberdeenshire Council in principle will assist with driving theory tests

Aberdeenshire Council in principle will assist with driving tests

Aberdeenshire Council in principle will assist with CBT tests

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

Bus: Yes

Train / Tram: No

Additional details:
Mental Health and Substance Misuse Teams provide free bus travel which sometimes includes a companion. Scottish Government will be rolling out free travel for all those under age 21 in the near future.

Care leavers have the opportunity to meet with their corporate parents (councillors)

We are unable to confirm whether care leavers have the opportunity for mentoring with any of the senior leadership team

Additional details:
Please see link https://www.girfec-aberdeenshire.org/home/children-and-young-people/get-involved-youth-participation-and-engagement-in-aberdeenshire/

Aberdeenshire Council has a children in care and care leavers council

Details of council:
Please see link https://www.girfec-aberdeenshire.org/home/children-and-young-people/get-involved-youth-participation-and-engagement-in-aberdeenshire/

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

Children in care and care leavers council does not have its own constitution

Aberdeenshire Council has peer mentors (other care leavers)

Aberdeenshire 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:
Support is offered.