Who is a care leaver

A care leaver is someone who's included in one of these groups:

• An eligible child is someone aged 16 or 17. Looked after for at least 13 weeks from age 14. How is still being looked after.
• A relevant child is someone aged 16 or 17. Looked after for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14 and has left care. Relevant children also includes young people who were detained. For example in a youth offending institution or hospital, when they turned 16. Those who were looked after straight away before being detained.
• A former relevant child is a young person 18 or over who was previously 'eligible' or 'relevant'. Councils support these people until they're aged 21, or longer if they're in education or training.
• A qualifying child is any young person under 21 (or 24 if in education or training). Who stops being looked after or housed in other settings, or being privately fostered, after age 16. This also includes young people who are under a special guardianship order.
• A former relevant child pursuing education is any former 'relevant' child whose case was closed, for any reason. If we're informed that they're planning to continue education or training they can ask us for support. If eligible, any help would last until they're 25 years old.
• Extension to 25 years old. If you're under 25 years old and open to the leaving care team.  Then under the Children and Social Work Act 2017 you're entitled to return for support.
• Contact the leaving care team and ask to speak with the duty officer.

Our corporate parenting principles

The Children and Social Work Act 2017 requires councils to consult on and publish a local offer for their care leavers. It also requires them to consider their corporate parenting principles when discharging their duty for looked after children and care experienced young people.

The local offer sets out the support local authorities provide to fulfil these principles:

• To act in the best interests and promote the physical and mental health and well-being of children.  Who is in care and care experienced young people.

• To encourage children in care and care experienced young people to express their views, wishes and feelings.

• To take into account the views, wishes and feelings of children in care and care experienced young people.

• To help children in care and care experienced young people. Helping them gain access to, and make the best use of, services provided by us and our relevant partners.

• To promote high goals, and seek to secure the best outcomes, for children in care and care experienced young people.

• For children in care and care experienced young people to be safe. For stability in their home lives, relationships and education or work.

• To prepare children in care and care experienced young people for living as adults.

• To prepare care experienced young people for adulthood living.

Your rights and entitlements

If you're a child in care or a care experienced young person you have certain rights. Find out more on about CoramVoice.

Support services for care leavers

Future Directions

Future Directions is a values based, high quality social care provider. Our intention is to drive the personalisation agenda.

For each person who we support has their own support package to meet their support needs.

Find out more about Future Directions.

Listening Works

Listening Works is a national independent support line for care leavers.

If you need to talk to someone, Listening Works' trained volunteers are available seven days a week from 6pm to midnight.

• Phone: 0808 802 0222
• Text message: 07860 065 169
• Live chat via the Listening Works website