Identity and participation support for care leavers
For the most comprehensive information about our Care Leavers Local Offer, download our Bridges SG App from Google or Apple.
Your care experience and your story matter and we will always explore this with you if that is what you would like.
Having a voice is important, as is making decisions about your plan and future. Similarly knowing your rights as a care leaver is important too. You can find out more information about your rights by visiting the Coram Voice website.
Participation Team
The South Gloucestershire Council Participation Team supports the Experienced Panel in Care (EPIC) who focus on listening to your experiences, challenging stigma and improving things for other young people. These groups also support care leavers to have access to their corporate parents.
We also provide opportunities to get involved with how Corporate Parenting services are designed, delivered and developed. This could be acting as Care-Experienced Consultants, being Young Recruiters or being a Care Experienced Trainer. You will be
provided a voucher of £10, £15 or £20 as remuneration.
Mentoring and advocacy
In South Gloucestershire we have our own mentoring service called Breakthrough
Mentoring which you can access via your Social Worker or Personal Advisor.
Reconstruct provide advocacy (and mentoring) for care leavers in South Gloucestershire. They can also support you if you wish to submit formal feedback (compliments, comments, and complaints) contact details can be found on the Useful contacts for young people leaving care page.
Care leavers from overseas
If you arrived in the UK as an Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Child and are under 18, we will look after and support you. Your Personal Advisor will talk to you about, and help you understand, your immigration status before you turn 18.
We will ensure your Pathway Plan considers different possible immigration outcomes.
If you are ARE (Appeal Rights Exhausted) we will complete a Human Rights Assessment and plan for your safe return home, with you. We will help to trace your family via the
British Red Cross.
Other support
A priority for us is to support you to maintain and establish relationships that are reliable, trusting and important to you.
If you are a young parent, you will receive a ‘New Baby Hamper’ to the value of £50 which contains some of the things you may need as a new parent.
You can attend our Stay and Play sessions with your child, a chance to connect with
other young parents every Wednesday at Kingswood Centre. You will also be entitled to access the swim and soft play passes with our Active Lifestyle Centres. Visit our page on Health and wellbeing support for care leavers for more information.