The help you can receive
Your support
You are entitled to receive support and advice from the council until you are 25 if you have been in care for:
- 13 weeks or more between the ages of 14 to 16 years (including your 16th birthday)
- 13 weeks after your 16th birthday
Eligibility for this service can be explained by your social worker, personal advisor or children’s advocate to help you understand whether you qualify for support, and what level of support you are entitled to.
Understanding your rights
The law states that for care leavers aged:
- 16 and 17 years old, the local authority is under an absolute duty to accommodate you, as well as provide you with a social worker or personal advisor
- 18 to 21 years old, there is a proactive duty on local authorities to keep in touch
- 18 to 21 years old, or up to 25 years old, (if the person is engaged in education or training, or requests assistance for complex needs), there is a duty on local authorities to allocate a personal advisor to assess the care leavers’ needs and develop and keep under review a pathway plan
Exceptions
If a young person returns to live with a parent for more than 6 months before they turn 18 and this is successful, they will not be entitled to a personal advisor but will be entitled to advice and guidance.
Care Experienced Young People’s Service
The Care Experienced Young People’s Service (CEYP) is here to support young people who are leaving care. We help you get ready for adult life, turning 18, and life beyond.
We work with you to build the skills you need to live more independently. We listen to you, stand up for you, and help make things feel less scary when big changes happen.
Our job is to help you feel confident, supported, and ready for your future.
We can help with everyday things, such as:
- setting up bills such as gas, electric and water
- paying rent and learning how to budget
- getting your provisional driving licence and other forms of ID
- writing a CV and applying for jobs
- finding out what money or support you can get
We will also help you access things you are entitled to, such as:
- a Setting Up Home Grant (SUHG)
- help with bursaries for attending university
- Council Tax exemption
- support to get important ID
If needed, we can help you find other services or organisations that can support you too.
Personal Advisors (PAs)
The Care Experienced Team is made up of different people who work together to support you.
This includes:
- a Team Manager
- a Senior Personal Advisor
- several Personal Advisors
Personal Advisor is often shortened to PA.
A Personal Advisor (PA) is the main person who supports you after you turn 18.
Your PA will:
- replace the support your social worker gave you before 18
- help you make, review and use your Pathway Plan
- give advice, support and guidance
- support you and your wellbeing as you learn to live independently
They are there to:
- listen to you
- talk honestly with you
- encourage you to do your best and succeed
- stand up for you if needed
They will always treat you with care and respect. They will stand by your side supporting and working with you, not for you.
You will usually meet your PA close to your 16th birthday.
At this point, your social worker and Independent reviewing officer (IRO) introduce you and help you develop a good start to the relationship. You can get to know each other and begin to look together at what support you might need when you turn 18.
Your PA will attend your Children in Care reviews from 16 up to your final review before you turn 18. They will work alongside you and your social worker until you turn 18 years old.
From 18 to 21 years old, your PA will become your lead professional and will check in on you at least every 8 weeks and will also be there for support.
Independent reviewing officer (IRO)
When you turn 18, you no longer have an IRO but you can request an advocate if needed.
Extended offer
When you reach 21 years old, if you feel you do not require that level of support and you are not in higher education, then you will be moved on to the Extended Offer. Support is still there on the Extended Offer, it just means you will contact us when you feel you need help, information or guidance.
Contacting us is easy, you can do this on the phone, via email or drop in to 333.
Your PA can help you:
- learn independence skills
- make choices about your future
- understand tricky systems
- solve problems
They can also work with other services for you, including:
- housing providers
- Department for Work and Pensions
- mental health services
- your Virtual School, college, or training providers
You will see your PA around every 8 weeks.
Each PA covers a group of around 25 people, so it might be that when you are trying to call them, they are supporting someone else, but leave a message and they will get back to you.
Contacting your PA
Your PA will give you their contact details so in between your meetings you can get in touch by:
- phone
- text
- dropping into 333
Your PA works as part of a team, so there will always be someone you can contact even if they are away.
Accessing your care records can be daunting, exciting, upsetting or simply satisfy your curiosity.
It’s your information so you are entitled to request access and your PA can support you with this and be with you when you read them to provide emotional support or advice.
Your Pathway Plan
If you are looked after by BCP Council and are over 16, you will have a Pathway Plan.
This plan:
- is about you, your dreams, your ambitions and helping you become a successful adult
- replaces your care plan from age 15 years and 9 months
- is written with you, your social worker and your PA
- helps plan for housing, money, health, education, training and work
- is based on an up-to-date needs assessment, setting out the support that will be offered to you to achieve your aspirations
- is something you help create - it’s your plan!
With your agreement, we will include our partner agencies when completing your Pathway Plan, to ensure we all work together to provide you with clear and consistent advice and support.
This may include:
- housing, education, training and employment providers
- health services
- the Probation Service
- advocacy services
- other youth support services
We will also involve your carers and family if you consent and if it is appropriate.
Pathway Plan reviews
Your plan is updated every 6 months or within 28 working days of any significant changes.
It will be written and available at your statutory review chaired by your Independent reviewing officer (IRO). A final review must take place before you reach the age of 18 to confirm the plans to support you into independence. Talk to your IRO if you wish to chair your own review.
If you are over 18, the review will be facilitated by your personal adviser and their team manager in partnership with you. This will be a less formal process than the statutory reviews you will be used to.
Being able to prove who you are is really important, you will need it many times in your life.
It is essential for practical things such as:
- opening a bank account
- starting work
- claiming benefits
You will also need it for fun things like going out to a pub or club.
333 Hub
The 333 Hub offers a safe and confidential space for care leavers to meet with PAs, other care leavers and other agencies like the Job Centre, housing and the Virtual School.
You can talk about your worries, what’s going well, get support and advice or explore things that interest you.
We have areas where you can relax, play games such as pool or table tennis and a private area for more confidential conversations.
There's also a café where you can enjoy a toasted sandwich and a cuppa, a washing machine to do laundry, a shower, plus the use of a laptop.
Hub opening hours
We are open Monday to Friday from 11am to 5pm.
Care Leavers over 21 on our extended offer can access our Duty Service from 333.
Events at 333
We also host special events at the hub for example at Christmas and Halloween where there are extra activities and food available.
The Hub's name and location
The name '333' was chosen by a group of our care leavers to symbolise the 3 local authorities that came together in 2019 to make BCP Council, the 3 teams that support BCP care leavers and finally 333 is the angel code for support.
This group also chose the location for 333 in central Bournemouth with easy access to public transport.
Duty and how to contact us
Our Duty Service is available for any BCP Council care leaver up to 25 years who no longer has an allocated PA or when their PA is not available to support them.
Contact Duty by email at ceypduty@bcpcouncil.gov.uk or call 01202 118500.