FOI Request - Support For Care Leavers

Request 101002964500

This is a request for information regarding the services and support offered to care leavers. We are aware that the pandemic may still be presenting time and resource constraints, but we would greatly appreciate this being dealt with as a matter of urgency.

Response 11-02-22

Accommodation:

We provide advice and support in relation to accommodation – this has included young people moving to continuing care/supported lodgings/scatter flats/college accommodation.

We supported the completion of housing application forms and provided direct support to purchase furnishing and support the starting of a tenancy.

We support young people if they are presenting to the council as homeless.  

Financial:

We ensure that income maintenance is paid where this moved to being bank payments during the pandemic.

We support young people in accessing the additional £20 DWP payment. This payment has now ceased.

We have used various extra funding streams over the pandemic to source laptops/chrome books to ensure connectivity/support with college work.

We also access the summer funding to enable support young people to re-connect with each other and with their communities.

Support/advice/signposting:

We ensure that staff are available to young people. This communication during the pandemic has been via phone and face to face as guidance has allowed and with the use of PPE.

We have made use of social media such as our Facebook page.

Education & Employment:

We support young people in securing and attending education and employment. As part of this, we support access to IT such as Chromebooks.

Group/activties:

We support young people in group activities. A series of events took place in summer 2021 to maintain links with young people and support their social networks.