Leaving care
Somerset has become a growing area for businesses providing residential provisions for young people living in care. Many of these young people will be living in the area for their early teen years and build their network of friends in the area; some finally decide that they wish to stay in Somerset after their 'looked after child' status ends. This poses issues for Leaving Care Workers for out of county placements regarding the implementation of Pathway Plans and identification of resources available to offer on-going support. As with the majority of Local Authority Leaving care Departments, there are limited resources available and Somerset is no exception from this.
By offering a private service to out of county placements, this ensures that:
a.) Pressure is relieved from already stretched local resources, and
b.) The young people receive appropriate support relative to their individual needs.
Leaving care workers
Our Leaving Care Advisors work with young people who have left care or who are in care and hoping to move into independence. They will view the current Pathway Plan to ensure that the recommendations are reasonable and will support the young person in achieving positive outcomes. This may mean helping to identify accommodation, further education, employment and ensuring organisation of finances to cover household expenses and running costs, we can offer assistance in budgeting weekly allowance payments etc and we can also provide a 'Friend' that can offer support on a 'needs' basis.
The Advisor can offer support in obtaining a passport and bank account (if not already available) and they can offer support into social events and activities that will build confidence and self esteem.
Our Leaving Care Advisors work closely with local Connexions Advisors and Colleges in the area to offer a seamless provision of transitional information and guidance.
Note
This Service is funded via the young person's PA, Connexions or Social Services Department and is not funded by Somerset County Council unless an agreement is in place prior to contact.
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