What our Local Offer is to you

All local authorities have a legal obligation to support young people making the transition from care to independence. It is Kent County Council’s responsibility to ensure that you know what services are available to you and what you can expect to receive whilst you are in care.

Eligible Young People

They are aged 16 or 17, have been looked after for a period or periods totalling at least 13 weeks starting after their 14th birthday and are still in care. (This total does not include a series of pre-planned short-term placements of up to four weeks where the child has returned to the parent). There is a duty to support these young people up to the age of 18, wherever they are living.

The statutory definition and requirements to undertake a needs assessment, prepare a Pathway Plan, keep the Pathway Plan under review and appoint a Personal Adviser are covered by Regulations 42, 43 and 44 of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations 2010.

Relevant Young People

They are aged 16 or 17 and are no longer looked after, having previously been in the category of Eligible Young Person when in care (that is, they have been looked after for a period, or periods, totalling at least 13 weeks starting after their 14th birthday and up to their 16th birthday). However, if after leaving care, a young person returns home for a period of 6 months or more to be cared for by a parent and the return home has been formally agreed as successful, he or she will no longer be a “Relevant Young Person”.

A young adult is also “Relevant” if, having been in care for three months or more, he or she is then detained after their 16th birthday either in a hospital, remand centre, young offenders’ institution or secure training centre. There is a duty to support Relevant Young People up to the age of 18, wherever they are living.

The statutory definition and requirements to stay in touch with the young adult, undertake a needs assessment (unless this was done when the young adult was ‘Eligible’), prepare and keep the Pathway Plan under review, appoint a Personal Adviser (unless this was done when the young adult was ‘Eligible’) and provide accommodation and assistance to meet his or her needs in relation to education, training or employment are now covered by Regulations 4 to 9 of the Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010.

Former Relevant Young People

They are aged 18 to 25 and have left care having been previously either “Eligible”, “Relevant” or both. There is a duty to consider the need to support these young people wherever they are living.

The statutory definition and requirements to stay in touch with the young adult, keep the Pathway Plan under review, continue the appointment of a Personal Adviser and provide financial assistance near where the young person is employed or seeking employment/to enable the young person to pursue education or training remain unchanged; they are now covered by Regulations 4 to 9 of the Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010. These duties continue until the young adult becomes 21 or, where the Pathway Plan sets out a programme of education or training beyond 21, they continue so long as the young adult pursues the programme. The duty to pay a higher education bursary also continues, as before for those who started a course of higher education after 2008.

The duties of Local Authorities are extended in relation to Former Relevant young people who inform the Local Authority of their wish to receive a service after the age of 21 and under the age of 25. In relation to these young people, the Local Authority has a duty to:

• Appoint a Personal Adviser;

• Carry out an assessment of the needs to determine what assistance (if any) it would be appropriate to provide;

• Prepare a Pathway Plan;

• Give assistance to the extent that the young adult’s educational or training needs require it. The kinds of assistance are: contributing to expenses incurred by the young adult in living near the place where s/he is, or will be, receiving education or training; or making a grant to enable the young person to meet expenses connected with his education and training;

• For those in full-time education, aged 16-19, access to the bursary fund which came into place in 2011.

• The duties of the Local Authority subsist for as long as the young adult pursues the programme of education or training in accordance with the Pathway Plan, and the Local Authority may disregard any interruption in the education/training if it is satisfied that the young person will resume it as soon as is reasonably practicable.

In each case where a care leaver requests this support, the Local Authority will need to assess the appropriateness of the course and how it will help the young person to achieve his or her ambitions. The extent of the practical and financial assistance provided will reflect the type of course, whether full - or part-time, and the young person’s existing income.

Qualifying Young People

Qualifying young people are aged 16 and over and under the age of 21, and are:

• Subject to a special guardianship order (or were when they reached 18) and were looked after immediately before the making of that Order;

• At any time after 16 (but whilst still a child), were looked after, accommodated or fostered. ‘Looked after, accommodated or fostered’ includes:

  • Looked After by a Local Authority;

  • Accommodated by or on behalf of a voluntary organisation;

  • Accommodated in a private children’s home;

• Accommodated for a consecutive period of at least 3 months (including even before the child was 16) by a Health Authority, CCG or Local Authority (providing education), in:

  • A care home;

  • Independent hospital;

  • National Health Service trust or Foundation Trust;

  • Privately Fostered - but do not qualify as Eligible, Relevant or Former Relevant.

Where a Local Authority looked after, accommodated or fostered a young person, and they are deemed as Qualifying for advice and assistance, the Local Authority has a duty to take reasonable steps to contact them with a view to advising and assisting them.

They may receive support, advice and assistance (including, in exceptional circumstances, cash or accommodation) wherever they are living.

If in full-time further or higher education, this may include contributing financial assistance to living expenses relating to their education or training or making a grant towards meeting their education/training expenses - including in relation to securing vacation accommodation up to the age of 24.

Our Local Offer for Care Leavers has the objective to clearly provide in a single document what you are entitled to and what we can expect from you. This will assist you in making the most out of our services that are available to you and make the most of your independence; our Local Offer is available to all eligible care leavers, including disabled young adults.  Please read it carefully to see what support is available when you are 18-21yrs and 22-25yrs.

We have consulted with the Young Adult Council that advised us of their views and opinions on the content of our offer.

At the end of our Local Offer you will find there is a section for useful contact details, should you require these.