Independent living skills for care leavers
For the most comprehensive information about our Care Leavers Local Offer, download our Bridges SG App from Google or Apple.
Passport to Independence is a planning and preparation tool, which helps discussion and understanding of independent living skills. This can be used to develop tenancy readiness skills.
Our 13-25 Preparing for Adulthood Team, which is part of the Young Person Disability Service, offer information, guidance, and short-term assistance to help young people reach their ambitions. A focus is on supporting young people to achieve and sustain greater personal independence. The team support across different pathways to adulthood covering different areas of life.
Important documents
We will ensure you have the documents you need relating to your identity and will keep copies safe for you. These include:
- National Insurance (NI) number
- Passport
- Provisional Driving License
- Birth Certificate
- Citizenship – We will support applications up to the age of 18
- RC (Biometrics card) for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people.
We will support asylum-seeking care leavers to obtain a travel document (x1).
Money
The amount of money you are entitled to depends on your care leaver status, age, and the accommodation you are living in.
Universal Credit (UC) - You will be supported to complete your first application called an
‘Advanced Claim’ (maxium of 1 month before your 18th birthday) in line with our DWP protocol. This can go ‘live’ on your 18th birthday.
Personal Allowance - If you are unable to claim for UC we will support you with a personal allowance. This is equivalent to state benefit and will cover rent, food and bills. We will also support you to budget. Personal allowance is available to eligible care leavers who live semi independently and are under 18.
If you are over 18 it is an expectation that you apply for and claim UC. Your Social Worker or Personal Advisor will support you with this if required. Perosnal allowance cannot be paid to over 18 year olds unless there is valid reason and exceptional circumstances.
For information about money towards education, read the Education, employment and training support page.
For information about money for rent/accommodation deposits, read the Accommodation and housing support for care leavers page.
Your first TV licence will be covered for your first year living independently, up to the age of 21.
Council Tax: you are exempt up to the age of 25.
Leaving Care Grant (LCG) is money allocated to you to buy essential home items. The total is £3,000. We will support you to purchase quality items and make the most of this allowance (examples can be found on the Accommodation and housing support page). It is expected that you will (with support if required) spend the full amount of your LCG before your 25th birthday, even if you no longer recieve a service (for example, if you are aged 21+). There may be exceptional cicumstances where we can extend this entitlement beyond your 25th birthday. You can discuss this with the Leaving Care Team.
Learning to drive - we will support with the cost of (maximum) five, one hour lessons. We would first expect other funding options to have been considered and explored. We will support the cost of your first driving theory test and first driving practical test or CBT test.
Festival celebrations (for example, Christmas or Eid) we will provide £30 (one payment per year).
Birthday money - £30 will be provided on your 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st Birthdays.
Mobile phones - we pledge not to have any young people leave care without a mobile
phone. If you require a new phone when you are 18 or older we will help you to get a basic phone and think about budgeting with you.
South Gloucestershire Council also work in partnership with the Good Things Foundation and their Databank and Devicebank, which means we can access basic devices and data for our care leavers most in need.