The care leavers' local offer

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Understanding and using the local offer

The care leavers’ local offer explains the support you can get from the council. You can read it at any time, and it’s there to help you understand your rights and the services you can use.

• If something is unclear, you can ask your personal adviser (PA) to explain it.
• Tell us if something is missing or needs changing.
• The support in the local offer is for you.

Every council must publish a local offer for care leavers.

It explains:

• what support is available
• what you can expect from us

You can ask for advice and support until you turn 25. If you do, we can give you a personal adviser (PA) to help you. Your PA can help you plan, make choices, and understand your options.

What's in the local offer?

The local offer covers six areas:

• Health and wellbeing – help to stay healthy and feel supported
• Education and training - help with learning, college or courses
• Employment – help to find work, training or apprenticeships
• Accommodation – support with housing and where you live
• Taking part in society - help to join in with your community
• Corporate parenting principles - our offers of support to you

How we update the local offer

We update the local offer from time to time.

Before we make changes, we ask care leavers and other people for their views.

The offer should reflect what you tell us you need – not what we think you need.

Corporate parenting principles

There are seven principles councils must follow:

• Act in your best interests and promote your health and wellbeing
• Encourage you to share your views and feelings
• Listen to your views and take them into account
• Help you access and use services
• Promote high aspirations and aim for the best outcomes
• Make sure you are safe and have stability in your home, relationships and education or work
• Prepare you for adulthood and independent living

What the legal terms mean

Sometimes the law uses special words. Here is what they mean:

• Eligible: You are 16 or 17 and still in care
• Relevant: You are 16 or 17 and left care after your 16th birthday
• Former relevant: You are 18 to 25 and were in care after your 16th birthday
• Qualifying: You are 16 to 25 and were in care for less than 13 weeks after your 14th birthday, and for at least one day after you turned 16

If you are a qualifying young person, you may not have a PA or get all the support in the local offer. But we can still give you advice and help you make a plan.

Extended support up to 25

If you are under 25 and have used the Care Leavers’ Service before, you can ask for support again.

Contact the service and ask for the duty worker.

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