If you are a care leaver in Surrey, there is support available to help you live independently, stay healthy, access education or work, and feel part of your community. This page explains what help you can get and how to access it.
Page contents
- What is the Care Leavers' Service?
- Care Leaver Covenant (CLC)
- Education
- Health
- Financial support and entitlements
- Independent Living
- Employment
- Training
- Want to help shape services in Surrey?
What is the Care Leavers' Service?
Surrey County Council’s Care Leavers’ Service offers a personalised service led by a Personal Adviser (PA) team divided into seven regional and specialist teams (including asylum support). Your PA will stay in touch until you turn 21, or up to age 25 if you are in education or request continued support.
Surrey listens to your goals and supports you to achieve them by building long term relationships, offering emotional and physical health support, advocating on your behalf, assisting with accommodation, and helping you access education, training, and employment opportunities.
Care Leaver Covenant (CLC)
Surrey has signed the national Care Leaver Covenant, pledging ongoing support across six areas - education, health, finance, independent living, employment, and training - and with 24 specific actions, including ensuring every care leaver leaves care with a CV, NHS pathways, pharmacy exemptions, targeted learning, travel discounts, and enhanced gym membership.
Education
There is support for care leavers in further education, higher education, apprenticeships and training. You can apply for help with laptops, books, travel, internet, and equipment.
Surrey’s Care Leavers' Service supports you in continuing your education, whether you're in college, university, or an apprenticeship. You may be entitled to help with laptops, internet access, essential equipment, and educational trips.
If you're in higher education, Surrey offers a £2,000 bursary and financial support during university holidays. Your Personal Adviser (PA) can also help you apply for additional support through grants like the Celebration Fund or from charities such as the Surrey Young People's Fund.
The Virtual School provides access to an Education and Employment Adviser up to age 25. There are also specialist mentoring programmes and pathways into further study, including SpringForward (UCAS mentoring), Goal 17, and the Bike Project.
Health
Surrey’s Children and Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Care Leavers Service, part of Mindworks Surrey, offers specialist support for those aged 16–25. This includes help with emotional wellbeing, mental health, substance misuse, and homelessness prevention.
If you're seeking asylum or waiting on Home Office decisions, you can get help applying for an HC2 certificate, which gives you access to free NHS services including prescriptions, dental care, and eye tests.
Care leavers in Surrey are entitled to free gym membership, free swimming, and 50 % off classes; those living outside Surrey may apply for free gym membership via Springboard funding. The Celebration Fund offers awards of up to £300 to support hobbies, training, equipment, or independence boosting goals.
Financial support and entitlements
Care leavers aged 18–24 who live in Surrey do not have to pay council tax. If you live outside of Surrey, you can get a 75% discount. The Council also covers the cost of one provisional driving licence, theory test, driving test and five lessons. You can get extra help with driving theory using the AA app.
If you need ID, Surrey will pay for up to three forms of identification, including your passport, birth certificate or biometric residence permit. Your PA can also help you access Universal Credit and apply for essential support from the Household Support Fund, Crisis Fund or Welfare Hub.
The Surrey LINK Card, free to those aged 5–20, continues to offer half price bus travel until your 21st birthday, and those living in London boroughs may also apply for a Care Leaver Oyster photocard granting 50 % bus and tram fare discounts.
More support is available with cost of living pressures, including one off payments for food, fuel, water, and other essentials via the Household Support Fund, Welfare Support Hub, Surrey Crisis Fund, and Family Information Service.
Independent Living
Moving into your own home can be exciting and overwhelming. Your PA can help you prepare for independence, find accommodation, and apply for benefits. If you're aged under 22, you won't be affected by the shared room rate for housing support.
The Staying Put scheme allows you to remain with your foster carers after age 18. Other supported options, like Shared Lives, are available for young adults with additional needs.
To help with household setup, Surrey can provide a Setting Up Home Allowance and practical items such as air fryers or bikes. You’re also entitled to three forms of funded ID (e.g. passport, birth certificate, driving licence), which your PA can help you obtain.
Employment
If you’re in work, you can get help with travel for your first four weeks of employment. Your PA can also help you access a 16–25 Railcard or apply for discounted bus and tram fares.
Through the Care Leaver Covenant, Surrey partners with employers to create job opportunities, including roles in the NHS and local councils. Social value agreements are used to secure placements specifically for care leavers.
Volunteering and paid opportunities are available too, including roles in council recruitment panels and service redesigns.
Training
If you're looking to build your skills or gain qualifications, there are a number of training and mentoring options. You can take part in work placements, CV workshops, and interview skills sessions, some offered by East Surrey College or Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Service.
There are also pathways for care leavers into sectors like engineering, mechanics (through Gomshall, Albury and Chilworth, Shere and Peaslake (GASP)), sports (via CoachCore), and logistics (Generation Logistics). Many of these programmes include support from trained mentors and practical work experience.
If you need support with childcare, your PA can help you apply for schemes like Care to Learn.
Want to help shape services in Surrey?
If you're aged 12–25 and want to have a say in the services that affect you, we'd love to hear from you. Whether you’ve used local support or simply want to make things better for others, there are lots of ways to get involved.
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