Leaving Local Authority Care
Leaving care is probably one of the most difficult times in
a young person’s life so it is essential that they are properly
prepared and ready for the challenge. In an attempt to give clarity
for both carers and young people it is important that the route
towards independence is clearly mapped out so that information is
available as to how and when it will happen and who will be
involved at the various stages.
With this very much in mind the department developed its Leaving
Care Service which is a dedicated team of workers whose prime role
is to help to prepare young people for leaving care and support
them once living independently.
We are guided by various pieces of legislation which outline the
responsibilities placed upon us in relation to children looked
after.
There are a number of key themes within the
Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 which should underpin our
work with young people. Some of these are:
- Look after young people
until they are prepared and ready to leave care.
- Ensure young people leaving
care have access to a range of accommodation and the support and
skills to maintain themselves in their accommodation.
- Ensure that there is
contingency provision to support care leavers in the event of a
crisis.
- Inform young people leaving
care of the available services – including the provision of
accessible leaving care guides. A guide for young people is
available upon request.
- Involve young people in all
assessment, planning, review and decision-making arrangements for
leaving care.
Clearly a huge investment is made in ensuring that young people
are offered a very high standard of care whilst they are looked
after by the department. It is our paramount aim to ensure that at
the point of leaving care a continuing high standard of support is
offered which will enable the transition towards independence to be
manageable and a positive experience.
If you wuld like a copy of 'A Guide to Leaving Care' booklet,
you can download it or order a copy from our Public Information Catalogue.