Care leavers

Personal Advisers (PAs)

Personal Advisors (or PAs) act as your main point of contact with the After Care service and will provide support to help you make a successful transition to adulthood.

• When you are 17, you will be allocated a named PA from the After Care Team. All Care Leavers should know who their PA is, and how to contact them. If you don't, please contact the After Care Team 
• You have the right to PA support up to the age of 25.
• The role of a PA is to help prepare for independent living and to support you after you leave care.
• The PA will work alongside your Social Worker and will be able to assist you in preparing for your life transition to adult life.
• PAs are responsible for ensuring that your Pathway Plan is developed and kept up to date until you reach 21.
• Where possible, we will try and ensure that Care Leavers keep the same PA until the age of 21, or beyond if necessary.
• Until you reach 21, your PA will see you at least once every two months and keep in touch with you between visits.

If you are a Child Looked After and have specific, identified additional needs your Social Worker will support your transition to Adult Social Care. When you are 17 1/2, the After Care Team will allocate you a named PA to work alongside your Social Worker. Your PA will take over responsibility for the preparation of your Pathway Plan when you leave care at 18.

Pathway Plan

We develop a Pathway Plan with you to help your transition from care to living independently.

• Your Social Worker will start developing the Pathway Plan while you are still in care – within three months around your 16th Birthday.
• The Pathway Plan sets out how we will help you to achieve the things you want to do.
• You will be fully involved in preparing and reviewing the Pathway Plan – it is your plan.
• We must review your Pathway Plan with you at least every six months until you reach 21.
• In your Pathway Plan, we will include information on education, training, employment, wellbeing, accommodation, family and social relationships, finance, mental and physical health, self-care skills and identity.

It is important that you talk to your PA about any needs or plans you have, and that they are included in your Pathway Plan.

Our promise to you as leavers

• We will make sure that we recognise all those important life moments of achievement with a call, an email, or a catch-up celebratory occasion
• We will never forget your birthday
• We will link into the Greater Manchester forums and support you to attend annual celebration events – we will be there to cheer you on!
• We will treat you with respect and ask ourselves “Would this be good enough for my child?”
• We will have a Corporate Parenting Conference each year so that all adults who make decisions about your care, and who provide services for you, can find out what they can do to help you reach your goals.
• We will challenge and champion your cause.