Bury Care and Support Service can help looked after children and young people get ready for independence and provide support once they have left care.
We understand that leaving home at any age is particularly difficult without the support of your family and friends.
The staff at Bury Care and Support Service are governed by The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000. This tells us that we must make sure that children leaving care and entering adulthood are not isolated and are able to participate socially and economically in society.
Preparing for independence may not be easy. You will need to adjust and make some changes to the way you live your life and the amount of responsibility you have. Your personal advisor will help you through this. We hope that when you have reached a reasonable level of independence you will see how well you have adjusted.
The service offered to care leavers includes:
- a personal advisor, who will offer support to care leavers through the transition to independence and adulthood
- a pathway plan - each young person's needs will be assessed and plans to meet those needs/aspirations will be set out in this plan
- keeping in touch - personal advisors now have a duty to keep in touch with young people until they reach the age of 21, or 24 if they are in education
- responsible authority - the new act states that the council who last looked after a young person remains responsible for supporting them until they are 21 (or 24 if in education)
- new financial support - young people who have left care, and are not on a care order and are aged 16 or 17, are no longer eligible for benefits. They will receive income maintenance from children's services.
For information about Bury's Local Offer in support of all of our Care Leavers, please visit: Care Leavers Offer in Bury.