Your personal advisor and pathway plan

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When you leave care, we want you to know what support you can get from the Care Leavers’ Service (CLS). The help you get will depend on your needs and what you want.

What does a personal adviser do?

When you are in care, you have a social worker. When you turn 16, you will also meet your personal adviser (PA). Your PA works with your social worker until you are 18. After that, your PA becomes your main worker.

Your PA will:

• get to know you and meet you regularly
• give you advice and support as you become an adult
• help you make decisions that are right for you
• keep in touch until you are 21, or up to 25 if you are in full-time education or ask for extra help

Your PA will give you their contact details and tell you when they work. They will also tell you who to contact if they are away.

How often you meet depends on your age and needs:

• 18 to 20 years old: at least every 8 weeks
• 21 to 25 years old: at least every 12 weeks if you still have a PA

You and your PA will meet regularly. Between meetings, you can also keep in touch by phone, text, WhatsApp or email.

If you leave the service after 21, we will contact you once a year until you turn 25 to remind you that you can ask for support.

What is a pathway plan?

Your pathway plan is your guide for becoming independent. You make it with your social worker or PA from age 16.

It sets out:

• your goals and what you want for the future
• the support you will get
• plans for education, work, health, money, housing and relationships

Your plan should reflect your views and be updated regularly. If you ask for help after 21, the plan will focus on what you need most.

Your PA will make sure your plan is clear and up to date.

It will show:

• your goals
• how to achieve them
• who will help and when

You will get a copy of your plan. If you do not have one, ask your PA.

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