Planning for leaving care

For the most comprehensive information about our Care Leavers Local Offer, download our Bridges SG App from Google or Apple.

Some care leavers have previously said that when they leave care they have felt
unprepared and like they are having to figure things out on their own.

We commit to the transition from care being understood and treated as a process and
not a single event, because we know that the ‘transition’ from childhood to adulthood is
one of the most important times in a care leaver’s life.

This page contains information on planning for leaving care. You may also want to read the page 'Independent living skills' for more information on how we support care leavers into independence. 

The Pathway Plan

The purpose of the Pathway Plan is to produce a written document that records what you need. It will focus on your future and what support will be provided to you to make a successful transition beyond care into adulthood.

A Pathway Plan should be written at least every 6 months or whenever something significant happens that changes the plan.

The Pathway Plan should be written in collaboration between you and your Social Worker or Personal Advisor. You will be provided with a copy of your plan in your preferred language.

Who will be involved

The whole of South Gloucestershire Council has shared responsibility to act as your ‘Corporate Parent’.

Within the Children’s Services ‘division’ of the ‘People’ department is Corporate Parenting, and within this is the Leaving Care Team.

In preparation for leaving care, you will be introduced to your Personal Advisor (PA) who works in the Leaving Care Team.

A Personal Advisor’s role is to ensure you are provided with the correct level of support across different areas of your life. They will see you at least every eight weeks.
You will have a Personal Advisor up to the age of 21 and if you need a service between the ages of 21 and 25 you can ‘opt in’ for support with specific issues (this could be for a week or for several months).

Beyond the age of 25, we still want to hear from you about significant life events and celebrations or to offer advice about tricky situations you are experiencing.

Entitlements

There are different entitlements, based on legal definitions, relating to your care experience.

The definitions below can help you understand which legal definition you fit under. You can also use the flowchart on pages 6 and 7 of the Care Leaver's Local Offer document for a visual guide.

Qualifying Care Leaver

This definition applies if:

• you are aged 16 – 21
• you were in care on or after your 16th birthday, and are no longer looked after OR you have spent less than 13 weeks in care since your 14th birthday, for example, not meeting the criteria for ‘Eligible Child’ or ‘Relevant Child’
• you were subject to Special Guardianship Order (SGO) or in care at any point after the age of 16 (in care refers to local authority, voluntary or private care, hospital care and private fostering).

Entitlements for qualifying care leavers:

• advice and assistance from Children’s Services
• in exceptional cases help could include financial assistance for example, with housing and education.

Eligible Child

This definition applies if:

• you are aged 16 or 17
• you are still in care
• you have been in care for at least 13 weeks after your 14th birthday.

Entitlements for eligible children:

• a Personal Advisor
• a Needs Assessment
• a Pathway Plan
• the local authority has a duty to continue caring for and supporting you up to age 18, wherever you are living, until you leave care.

Former Relevant Young

This definition applies if:

• you are aged 18 – 25
• you have left care but were previously an ‘Eligible Child’ or a 'Relevant Child'

Entitlements for former relevant young people:

• a Personal Advisor
• a Pathway Plan, kept under regular review
• the local authority has a duty to provide assistance with employment, education and training and accommodation and living costs.

Relevant Child

This definition applies if:

• you are aged 16 or 17
• you are no longer in care
• you were previously an ‘Eligible Child’ (in care for 13 weeks between your 14th and 16th birthdays) OR in care for a period of time after your 16th birthday.
• have not returned home successfully for at least 6 months
• you are detained in custody, remanded or placed in a secure hospital after your 16th birthday.

Entitlements for relevant children:

• a Personal Advisor
• a Needs Assessment
• a Pathway Plan
• the local authority has a duty to support accommodation and maintenance, and provide financial support to meet your education, training and employment needs.

Access to your records and information

You have the right of access to files. If you wish, we will support you with this process (applying for the records, reading the records, and making sense of the records) and any aftercare.