Care leavers

Leaving care is a major life milestone — exciting, challenging, and full of possibility. Our local offer is here to make sure you don’t face that journey alone. Whether you’re preparing to move on or have already taken your next steps, we’re committed to giving you the support, guidance, and opportunities you need to build the future you want.

Who is a care leaver

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

  • An eligible child - this is someone aged 16 or 17 years old who are currently looked after by the local authority and have been for 13 weeks or more since age 14 (does not need to be consecutive) 
  • A relevant child - this is someone aged 16 or 17 who are not currently looked after by a local authority, but who were looked after for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14. Relevant children also includes young people who were detained, for example in a youth offending institution or hospital, when they turned 16. 
  • A former relevant child - this is a young person aged 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 - this is any young person under 21 (or 24 if in education or training) who stops being looked after, 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 - this 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 - this includes anyone under 25 years old who is still classed as "open" to the leaving care team. Under the Children and Social Work Act 2017 they are entitled to return for support.

If you're unsure if you are eligible, contact the leaving care team and ask to speak with the duty officer.

Our local offer

Our local offer for care leavers tells you the support we offer our care leavers. It sets out the legal statutory duties that Barnsley's care leavers can expect from us. It also gives advice about the extra help and support that we, and our partners, will provide to you as a care leaver.

 

Our local offer has been developed by speaking to care experienced young people in Barnsley. We review it each year and measure it's success against what people tell us about their direct experience of services.

Support for you

Future Directions

As a 16-25 year old care leaver you can also get support from Future Directions Barnsley, a values based, high quality social care provider who provide personalised support to meet individual support needs.

Other support

You can also find links to other local support and resources for care leavers.

More information

Your rights and entitlements

If you're a child in care or a care experienced young person you have certain rights. Coram Voice can support you to know your rights and make sure you are clear on what you can and can’t do.

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.

For more information

Call 01226 772626 or

See also...