Care leavers

Support and information for adults and young people who have left the care system.

England: national support

Apprenticeships for young care leavers – bursary for young people aged 16-24 who are care leavers or have a local authority education, health and care plan

Barnardos – young people leaving caring service to support the transition to the adult world

Become – practical advice and information for children in care and young care leavers

Bridging the Gap – care leaver reengagement programmes

Capstone Care Leavers Trust – financial support and advice for care leavers aged 17-25 who have been in local authority care

Care Leaver Covenant – information on the Covenant to provide support for care leavers aged 16-25

Catch 22 – care leaver support for alternative education, employability programmes and rehabilitation

Child Benefit for children in care on GOV.UK – information for different types of care arrangements

Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE) – information on children’s human rights

Connects – information for care leavers about the Care Leavers Covenant

Coram Voice – advice and support for problems in care, leaving care or living away from home

DWP Care Leaver Covenant Offer – information on DWP’s commitment to the Care Leavers Covenant

HITZ Rugby – Premiership Rugby education and employment programme supports care leavers

Learning and Work Institute – information for care leavers and employers to support care leavers

Mayday Trust – supports care leavers in transitioning to adult life

National Youth Advocacy Service – provides advocacy for children in care and care leavers

Rees Foundation – support and after care services for care leavers

Spark Foundation – small grants for care leavers aged under 26 and have been in care in England or Wales

University as a Care Leaver – information on additional support and funding for care leavers applying for university

Working Chance – recruitment consultancy for women care leavers

Avon, Somerset and Gloucestershire

Reboot West  service that helps Care Leavers who feel they are ready to get into Education, Employment and/or Training opportunities

Bath & North East Somerset Virtual School Children in Care Team

North Somerset Children, young people and families support for children and young people who are looked after (in care) or care leavers

Youth Support Gloucester offer specialist advice and support for young people who have recently left care, or who are about to do so

Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

Bedford Borough Council - Leaving Care and Transition - Procedures apply to young people in Bedford who are or have been in care and are entitled to support after their 16th birthday

Bedford Borough Council - Looked After Children and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services - A Permanency Team and Leaving and After Care Service providing support to meet the needs of young people in or leaving care

Care Leavers App - The App functions without an internet or wifi connection; care leavers can access on a 24/7 basis

Leaving Care - Children in Care Council (cicc.org.uk) -Phone 0300 300 8000 and ask for the Leaving Care Team

Housing related help for care leavers (centralbedfordshire.gov.uk) – see website for details

Youth support service - Central Bedfordshire Council- see website for details

Leaving care (luton.gov.uk) - see website for details

Hertfordshire Services for Young People – see website for useful links to available support

Catch22 - A social business – Holistic support

Children in Care Council (CHICC) - Hertfordshire County Council - see website for details

Care leavers - Accommodation - Hertfordshire County Council - Help for leaving care. Housing and money advice age 16 plus

Local Offer for Care Leavers - Hertfordshire County Council – see website for details

SEND news - (hertfordshire.gov.uk) – Targeted Youth Support- Supporting young people who have been Children Looked After to become care leavers

Care Leavers and Care Experienced About us - Uni of Herts - committed to increasing the number of care leavers accessing higher education

Services for Young People Watford Access Point Project - Access information, advice and support

Youth Connexions - Health for Teens Hertfordshire – see website for services provided

Devon and Cornwall

Carefree Cornwall - works with young people aged 11 – 25 who are in and leaving care

CSW Focus 5 - To support individuals, including those with mental health issues, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), parents and care leavers to develop their personal and social skills

Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Alabare - Help for care leavers to acquire the skills they need to live in their own accommodation in Wiltshire

Hampshire County Council – local offer for care leavers 

Isle of Wight Care Leavers - local offer provides support for care leavers up to the age of 25

East London

Drive Forward – offers support for care leavers under 25 in South East London

Essex

Essex County Council – contact your Work Coach about accessing the Leaving and Aftercare Team for care leavers aged 16 or 17 across Essex

Open Door – works with young people in care or recently left care from Thurrock County Council

Southend Leaving Care Team – support for care leavers aged 16 or 17 leaving care from Southend on Sea Borough Council

Thurrock Aftercare Team – contact your Work Coach about accessing the Aftercare Team for care leavers aged 16 or 17 across Thurrock

Kent

Kent County Council – information on the local care leavers offer for Kent

North London

Camden Council Leaving Care Service – contact your Work Coach about this social worker and personal advisor team for people aged 16-21 who have left care

Drive Forward – offers support for care leavers under 25 in North London

Haringey Council – provides housing advice for care leavers on Haringey

Young Adults Service – provides information and support for care leavers in Haingey

West London

AfC - Kingston and Richmond - local offer for care leavers

Future First - leaving care service for Wandsworth

Hillingdon Council - local offer for care leavers

London Borough of Hounslow - Local offer to care leavers

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames - Local offer to care leavers

Cheshire

Cheshire West and Chester Council - housing advice for care leavers

University of Chester - Care Leavers Support - support for students who have been in care

Cumbria and Lancashire

Cheshire West and Chester Council - housing advice for care leavers

Lancashire County Council - Care leavers local offer - tells you about all the support that we have in Lancashire for you as a care leaver aged 16-25.

Durham and Tees Valley

Darlington Borough Council - Local support information and advice for care leavers

Durham County Council - Support for care leavers aged 16 to 25 years old who were looked after either in foster care or in a home

Middlesbrough Council - Children Matter - Support for those who have been in care for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14 up to at some point the age of 16 or 17

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council - work with looked after children and care leavers aged 16 to 25 who have a personal adviser allocated to them who supports them during their transition to adulthood

Stockton Information Directory - support in place in Stockton-on-Tees for care leavers.

Thirteen - Leaving care, Rose House, Hartlepool

Greater Manchester

Bury Council - - Children in Care and Leaving Care services

GMCVO - Support for carers looking to return to work

Stockport Council - support for care leavers

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council - support for care leavers

Wigan Council - support for care leavers

Northumberland, Tyne and Wear

Gateshead Council - care leavers offer

Newcastle City Council - care leavers offer

Northumberland County Council - care leavers offer

West Yorkshire

Bradford Council - The Leaving Care Service

Calderdale Council - Local Offer for young people leaving care

Wakefield Council - Offer to Care Leavers

Birmingham and Solihull

Care Leaver Grant – provides grants for young people in Solihull aged under 21 (or under 25 if in education) leaving care

East Anglia

Council tax care leaver discount Norwich City Council - offers care leavers a council tax discount

Leicestershire and Northamptonshire

Leicester City Council - Leaving care support – offers support to care leavers

Leicestershire care leavers - offers support to care leavers

Leicestershire Cares - offers support on issues experienced by young people having been in a care

Northamptonshire Children’s Trust – offers support to children in care and care leavers

Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland

Leaving Care Service Nottingham - offers advice, information and practical help

Looked after children and care leavers - Nottinghamshire County Council - provides advice, information and practical help

Mercia

Care leavers – Coventry City Council - offers career advice to care leavers

Horizon Care and Education - provides support to hard to place care leavers whose needs were not met locally

Telford College - additional support for care leavers entering college

Staffordshire and Derbyshire

Care leavers and children in care - Derby City Council - provides information and advice for young people in Derby who are about to leave or have left care

Leaving Care - Staffordshire County Council - advice for young people leaving care or have left care

Leaving care service - Derbyshire County Council - support for care leavers up to the age of 21, and maintain contact every year until 25

Scotland: national support

Action For Children – runs various information, support and therapy services across Scotland for care leavers and young people

ALISS – a support service directory for Scotland

Barnardos – young people leaving caring service to support the transition to the adult world

Become – practical advice and information for children in care and young care leavers

Bridging the Gap – care leaver reengagement programmes

Care Leaver Covenant – information on the Covenant to provide support for care leavers aged 16-25

Catch 22 – care leaver support for alternative education, employability programmes and rehabilitation

Child Benefit for children in care on GOV.UK – information for different types of care arrangements

Children 1st – practical support and advice for care leavers and support for survivors of abuse and other traumatic childhood experiences

Connects – information for care leavers about the Care Leavers Covenant

Coram Voice – advice and support for problems in care, leaving care or living away from home

DWP Care Leaver Covenant Offer – information on DWP’s commitment to the Care Leavers Covenant

Future Pathways – support for care leavers to learn new skills and experience

Learning and Work Institute – information for care leavers and employers to support care leavers

Mayday Trust – supports care leavers in transitioning to adult life

National Youth Advocacy Service – provides advocacy for children in care and care leavers

Rees Foundation – support and after care services for care leavers

Spark Foundation – small grants for care leavers aged under 26 and have been in care in England or Wales

University as a Care Leaver – information on additional support and funding for care leavers applying for university

Who Cares Scotland – provides advocacy and support services for care leavers in Scotland

Working Chance – recruitment consultancy for women care leavers

Young Funder’s Grant – a grant for care experienced young people aged 16-26 in Scotland

East Scotland

Edinburgh College – offers employability and basic skills courses for care leavers

Scottish Boarders Council – job search and employment support for care leavers looking to find paid employment of at least 8 hours a week

West Lothian Youth Inclusion and Aftercare Service – contact your Work Coach about this support service for care leavers in West Lothian

North East Scotland

Angus Council – has a Throughcare and Aftercare Team which supports care leavers in Angus

Dundee City Council: Discover Opportunities – contact your Work Coach about this tailored care leavers service in Dundee

Perth and Kinross Council – contact your Work Coach about this Throughcare and Aftercare Team which supports care leavers in Perth and Kinross

Northern Scotland

Highland Council Services for Children and Families – information about what happens when someone leaves care in the Highlands

South West Scotland

Dumfries and Galloway College – offers support to care leavers who want to study at the college

Dumfries and Galloway Social Services – a directory of social work offices available in Dumfries and Galloway

Impact Arts – runs a Make It Your Own home improvement project for care experienced people aged 16-26 in East Ayrshire

North Ayrshire Council Throughcare – support for care experienced people aged 15-21 in North Ayrshire to live independently

Young Person Inclusion Project – ran by SACRO in Dumfries and Annan, this project focusses on reintegrating young people back into the community

West Scotland

Inverclyde Council Throughcare Support – information on the support offered whilst in care and what happens when someone leaves care

West Dunbartonshire Council – contact your Work Coach to be referred to the Throughcare and Aftercare Team that supports care leavers in the area

Wales: national support

Barnardos – young people leaving caring service to support the transition to the adult world

Become – practical advice and information for children in care and young care leavers

Bridging the Gap – care leaver reengagement programmes

Capstone Care Leavers Trust – financial support and advice for care leavers aged 17-25 who have been in local authority care

Care Leaver Covenant – information on the Covenant to provide support for care leavers aged 16-25

Catch 22 – care leaver support for alternative education, employability programmes and rehabilitation

Child Benefit for children in care on GOV.UK – information for different types of care arrangements

Connects – information for care leavers about the Care Leavers Covenant

Coram Voice – advice and support for problems in care, leaving care or living away from home

DWP Care Leaver Covenant Offer – information on DWP’s commitment to the Care Leavers Covenant

HITZ Rugby – Premiership Rugby education and employment programme supports care leavers

Learning and Work Institute – information for care leavers and employers to support care leavers

Llamau – Homelessness charity that works with care leavers and other disadvantaged people

Mayday Trust – supports care leavers in transitioning to adult life

Mytravelpass –bus pass scheme for 16-21 year olds

National Youth Advocacy Service – provides advocacy for children in care and care leavers

Rees Foundation – support and after care services for care leavers

Spark Foundation – small grants for care leavers aged under 26 and have been in care in England or Wales

University as a Care Leaver – information on additional support and funding for care leavers applying for university

Working Chance – recruitment consultancy for women care leavers

North and Mid Wales

Action for Children Skills + - a bespoke service to help care leavers transition to adulthood

Conwy Borough Council Care Leavers – work directly with care leavers aged 16-25

Gwynedd County Council – support services to help care leavers transition to adulthood and independence

Powys Detached Team – can support a care leaver to make a claim for Universal Credit – call 01597 827460

Teulu Mon – support for young people leaving care in Anglesey

TGP Cymru – a service for young people who have left care and are aged 18-25 who are at risk of homelessness

Voices For Care Cymru – run the Getting Ready Project that provides resources and information to young care leavers in Anglesey

South East Wales

Llamau Symud Ymlaen Moving Forward 3 – contact your Work Coach about this service for young care leavers and youth offenders aged 16-24 who want to improve their employability skills

Monmouthshire local authority Leaving Care Team – call 07816 177398

Newport local authority Leaving Care Team – call 01633 210055

Torfaen local authority Leaving Care Team – call 01633 647538

Vale of Glamorgan local authority Leaving Care Team – call 01446 704275

South West Wales

RCTCBC 16+ Team – a support team for young people aged 16-21 who have been looked after by Rhondda Cynon Taff’s care services

Two Sides – a support service for young people aged 16-21 who have been looked after by Rhondda Cynon Taff’s care services