5. Care leavers aged 21 - 25
The After Care Team in Oldham will strive to support care leavers who want to stay in appropriate education or training until they are 25 to ensure that our young people can achieve their career ambitions.
Care leavers aged 21–25 years may be entitled to continuing support from a personal advisor if they have returned or want to resume a programme of education or training.
Can I get support?
You may be entitled to support if you are:
- A care leaver aged under 25 years
- No longer receiving support from your After Care Team
- Wanting to start education or training or have already gone back to education or training
What is meant by a programme of education or training?
A programme of education or training may include options such as:
- Basic skills course
- Numeracy and literacy
- Further education
- Higher education/university
- Vocational course
What will we do for you
A social worker from the After Care Team will make contact with you to arrange a needs assessment about the appropriateness and suitability of the education or training course and how this will help you to achieve your ambitions.
The assessment will consider information about your skills and capabilities set out in your previous pathway plans up to age 21 and consider the type of course (full/ part time), your income, any impact on your accommodation and/or welfare benefits.
If you are experiencing any practical or emotional difficulties that are preventing you from returning to education or training immediately, the assessment will consider any support service that we can provide to you to overcome these difficulties so that you can return to education or training up to age 25 if this is your wish.
We will appoint you a social worker and prepare a pathway plan – if after the assessment your request for support is agreed, we will appoint a personal advisor who will re-instate your pathway plan and update it to reflect the specific focus on the agreed educational outcomes for you. Your re-instated pathway plan will include any support and assistance we will provide for you including, if agreed any financial support.
How long will the support last?
Your entitlement to support from a personal adviser starts from the time you inform us of your intention to resume or continue a programme of education or training and lasts for as long as you continue to pursue or complete the agreed programme.
What happens if no support is provided?
In some cases the local authority may refuse support to you.
This may be due to a number of issues such as the course not being appropriate, previous concerns regarding your lack of engagement or because you refuse permission for the local authority to contact the education or training provider.
Where the local authority refuses your request for support, the reasons for this decision must be clearly explained to you and recorded.
You should be provided with details of the Children’s Rights Service and information about who to contact should you want to make a complaint or appeal this decision.
What if you don’t want to resume education or training?
Your personal adviser will encourage any care leaver who is not in education, employment or training to take up this offer of support for advice and assistance to resume a programme of education or training. They will ensure that you are aware of your entitlements should you want to resume or return any time before your 25th birthday.
The After Care Team may be able to help out with money for essential items that are needed for your programme of study.
If you would like to study at university, there is further support available. You can apply for financial support from Student Finance but with your cooperation we will also assess your situation and provide additional financial support if needed (dependent on means testing).