Care Leavers and Transition to Adulthood

Hertfordshire County Council recognises its responsibility, in partnership with other agencies to assist young people leaving care to re-integrate successfully with their families, or to become as self-supporting as possible. The necessary services will be available to help care leavers achieve a successful transition, and will be provided in accordance with the agencies' legal obligations and by the best use of available resources, and in recognition that they are likely to be particularly vulnerable due to their life experiences.

These procedures detail the services provided to young people who are entitled to support to prepare them to leave care but who remain looked after ("eligible children"), and to young people who have ceased to be looked after ("relevant" and "former relevant" children). They aim to meet the requirements of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations (in respect of Eligible young people) and the Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010 (in respect of Relevant, Former Relevant, and Qualifying young people) and to ensure that care leavers are provided with comprehensive personal support so that they achieve their potential as they make their transition to adulthood.

The 2010 Regulations set new terminology and move away from leaving care being a point in time to this being a transition over a period of time. They introduce a new expectation that young people can return to their responsible authority (i.e. the authority that last looked after them) for services up to their 25th birthday. Children are supported to prepare for their future and develop their independence in line with their individual needs, while protecting themselves from being in unsafe situations or with unsafe people.

The key pieces of legislation and guidance staff need to be most familiar with and consult alongside these procedures are:

• The Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010;
• The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Guidance and Regulations 2010 (Amended 2015);
• The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations;
• Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 Guidance and Regulations;
• Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000;
• Valuing People : The Learning Disability Strategy for The 21st Century;
• Guidance on the Education of Children and Young People in the Public Care;
• Working Together to Safeguard Children;
• Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families;
• Children and Families Act 2014;
• The Care Act 2014;
• Children and Social Work Act 2017;
• Health and Safety at Work Act;
• Management of Health and Safety Work Regulations.

As a quick reference staff will find details of leaving care & after care in the following sections of the legislation and guidance:

• The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations – Volume 3: Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers - Sections 24, 27, 61 and 64 of the Children 1989 Act;
• Chapter 16 In Vol. 6, Guidance and Regulations; Children with Disabilities;
• Hertfordshire's Joint Housing Protocol for Working with Homeless 16/17 year olds and Care Leavers;
• HCC Corporate Parenting Strategy 2022-2025;
• HCC Transition to Adulthood (Leaving Care) Financial Policy Guidance;
• HCC Education of Children Looked After Procedure.

The responsible authority is the council which last looked after the young person, irrelevant of where they are currently living. Where a young person who is eligible for services was looked after by another authority, that authority will be responsible for ensuring the provision of the necessary services. The roles and responsibility of the authorities involved are set out in Local Authority Social Services Letter LASSL(2004)20 (archived).

1. The responsible authority has a number of duties in relation to relevant children including:
   • To undertake a Leaving Care Assessment of Need;
   • To provide a Leaving Care Personal Adviser;
   • To provide a Pathway Plan;
   • To keep in touch with the young person;
   • To provide assistance with the expenses associated with education and training;
   • To provide vacation accommodation or the funds to secure it to care leavers in higher education or on a residential further education course which requires them to live away from home as agreed in the Pathway Plan;
   • To maintain a case record which should include any assessment of needs, any Pathway Plan and any review of a Pathway Plan;
   • To regularly review and revise the Pathway Plan (at least every 6 months).
2. Responsibilities in relation to former relevant children include:
   • To undertake a Leaving Care Assessment of Need;
   • To provide a Leaving Care Personal Adviser;
   • To provide a Pathway Plan;
   • To maintain a case record which should include any assessment of needs, any Pathway Plan and any review of a Pathway Plan;
   • To regularly review and revise the Pathway Plan (at least every 6 months);
   • Assistance where a young person incurs expenses associated with employment, education and training, up to the age of 24 where connected to a course of education or training;
   • To keep in touch up to the age of 25 if the young person is receiving assistance with education and training.
3. Responsibilities in relation to eligible children are as set out in the Care Planning Guidance for Children Looked After (see Care Planning Guidance);
4. Responsibilities in relation to care leavers who are qualifying children include:
   • Vacation accommodation or the means to secure it, for care leavers between the age of 16 and 21 qualifying for advice and assistance, who are in higher education or on a residential further education course, where needed.

The 2010 Regulations define four categories of young people entitled to leaving care services:

Relationship between the Assessment Framework and Care Leavers Regulations 2010.

The Planning Transitions to Adulthood for Care Leavers Guidance (2010, revised 2015) specifies that all relevant and former relevant children (as well as eligible children) must have a Pathway Plan, as this sets out the transitional process for young people leaving care into adulthood and independence, which is different from the CIN planning process, that is usually short term and mainly highlights services required to meet their needs within Safeguarding and Specialist Services. A young person looked after for less than 13 weeks after their 16th birthday – (Southwark cases) may be deemed a qualifying child. However, if that young person successfully returns home, they will not be regarded as "qualifying" under Section 24 of the Children Act, 1989, but should be supported under Section 17 of the 1989 Act along with a CIN Plan.

According to the 2010 guidance the Pathway Plan must include:

Any services being provided in respect of the young person's disability or needs arising from being in custody or as a result of entering the country as a separated migrant child (see Separated Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery Procedure).

The plan for the young person's continuing education or training when he/she ceases to be looked after (where the young person is no longer of statutory school age, the Pathway Plan will need to incorporate the goals and actions that were previously included in the PEP).

How the Responsible Authority will assist the young person in obtaining employment or other purposeful activity or occupation, taking into account their aspirations, skills and educational potential.

The financial support to be provided to enable the young person to meet accommodation and maintenance costs; taking into account their financial capabilities and money-management capacity, along with strategies to develop skills in this area.

The nature and level of contact and personal support to be provided, and by whom, to the young person.

Details of the accommodation the young person is to occupy (including an assessment of its suitability in the light of needs, and details of the considerations taken into account in assessing that suitability).

Details of the arrangements made by the authority to meet the young person's needs in relation to identity with particular regard to their religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background.

The IRO should be satisfied that the pathway plan is aspirational, that it will assist the young person with the transition and that it has contingency plans in respect of health and education. In the event that the IRO is not satisfied that the pathway plan will meet the child's identified needs s/he should seek to resolve the issue through informal routes or of this is not successful, through the local dispute resolution process (see Case Escalation Process Procedure).

Where relevant, immigration status should be included as a separate section on Pathway Plans. This will help to ensure that young people who have been granted Pre Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme apply to convert this to Settled Status at the appropriate time. Each young person's personal deadline for converting Pre Settled into Settled Status is unique to them and contained in a digital format – it is important therefore that this is recorded and monitored by the local authority. Plans should contain clear information about what action needs to be taken by whom and when.

The IRO should be provided with an updated copy of the final pathway plan 20 working days before the young person's 18th birthday, whether or not a review is due to take place and should communicate directly with the young person in relation to the arrangements set out in the pathway plan. In the event that the young person or the IRO are not satisfied with the arrangements, consideration should be given to convening an additional review and/or taking other remedial action.

From the time children and young people begin being looked after, Children's Services, in partnership with other agencies, will, through its planning and reviewing processes, continuously promote preparation for the time when they cease to be looked after.

These processes will mesh with pathway planning to ensure that sufficient continuing support is offered until the young person is successfully re-integrated with their families, or has achieved as much independence as possible.

The necessary detailed planning while the young person is looked after will be achieved through the use of the Integrated Children's System.

The leaving care assessment (The Pathway Plan Part 1) will be started when a young person reaches the age of 15 1/2 and completed when they reach the age of 16. (Refer to the booklet "Preparation for Independence and Pathway Planning Checklist"). Arrangements to complete the needs assessment and a timetable for this assessment should be discussed and agreed at the young person's statutory review meeting prior to their sixteenth birthday.

The Leaving Care Assessment of Need will be undertaken by the young person's looked after social worker and must be approved by the young person, the social worker/Leaving Care Personal Adviser and their manager.

The assessment will define all of the young person's comprehensive needs in terms of preparation for, and transition to, independence. It will be shared with partner agencies at the relevant Pathway Planning meeting. The Pathway Plan Part 1 should not be used mechanistically as a questionnaire. A good needs assessment will draw on information from a variety of sources.

The same principles underpin the Pathway Plan Part 1 as for all the other assessments of children and young people. The Pathway Plan Part 1 uses the same structure as the other assessment records. It considers the young person's needs in relation to the seven developmental needs dimensions.

The structure of the Pathway Plan Part 1 is similar to other assessments within the Integrated Children's System. The information gathered in the Pathway Plan Part 1 is pulled together in the Analysis Section and informs Part Two of the Pathway Plan.

The first Pathway Plan should be completed immediately following the young person's 16th birthday. Legally an assessment of need and Pathway Plan must be completed no later than 3 months after a young person becomes eligible or relevant (and former relevant). The responsibility for producing and co-ordinating the Pathway Plan for 16 and 17 year old Children Looked After rests with the allocated worker (e.g. 0-25 Service, SASH, Family Safeguarding, Leaving Care Personal Adviser, CLA Social Worker, etc.…)

The Pathway Plan Part 2 will be completed within the prescribed time frame and should be reviewed every 6 months or whenever there is a significant change by the social worker/Leaving Care Personal Adviser. This includes when a young person moves from regulated to deregulated accommodation.

As part of preparation for leaving care, the social worker/leaving care Personal Adviser will ensure that a young person is given the appropriate advice about the services they can expect.

When they become eligible for leaving care services, each young person will have a named Leaving Care Personal Adviser.

For young people who are looked after aged 16 & 17, the Personal Adviser function will be provided by their Social Worker (e.g. Family Safeguarding, SASH, CLA…).

When a young person reaches the age of 16 and is deemed an eligible child but case responsibility is not in a CLA Team (e.g. in a 0-25 Together Service Team or other team), their relevant social worker will also be deemed their Leaving Care Personal Adviser.

For young people aged 18 or over, the Leaving Care Personal Adviser will be provided by:

• The CLA and Care Leaver Service; or
• SfYP SEND Team.

Disabled care leavers who meet the criteria for services from the Adult Care Services (eligibility criteria – Care Act 2014) will be provided with services via the 0-25 Together Service and will also be allocated a Leaving Care Personal Adviser from Services for Young People, if they have a learning disability. Where a Hertfordshire disabled care leaver (specifically those with a learning disability) is pIaced outside of Hertfordshire and wishes to remain there, Hertfordshire will continue to support that care leaver into adulthood.

Where a disabled care leaver from another local authority is placed in Hertfordshire that local authority will be responsible for providing continued support to that care leaver even after they become an adult.

In Accordance with the Care Act 2014 (Section 37 (5)(6) local authorities must work together to ensure a seamless transition between children and adult social care. The responsibility for any adult service will be based on a Care Act 2014 eligibility and service assessment and a determination of the adults 'Ordinary Residence'.

The Leaving Care Personal Adviser is likely to be the primary focus of support/advocacy for the young person, and will be responsible for keeping in touch and for the co-ordination and delivery of support identified via the Pathway Plan throughout the leaving care transition process, which will last up to age 21 or up until age 25 should the Care Leaver have ongoing support needs and wish to access leaving care support.

The Leaving Care Personal Adviser must be proactive in keeping in touch, or in re-establishing contact. Arrangements for contact and keeping in touch may vary, dependent on the needs, views and wishes of the young person. Once contact arrangements have been agreed, the agreements must be written into the young person's Pathway Plan. Hertfordshire Policy sets out the following minimum standards for contact and visits with Care Leavers:

• Contact every 4 weeks between visits for all age groups;
• 18/19 years old minimum of 8 weekly visits;
• 20+ years old minimum of 12 weekly visits.

All contact and visits should be meaningful, recorded on LCS within a timely manner and work to support the Pathway Plan actions.

If there are difficulties in regular contact (i.e. the young person is not making themselves available), then the Leaving Care Personal Advisers need to inform their line manager, where consideration can be given to any changes in approach, or who else might be in regular contact to support the local authority in keeping up to date with any changes or needs of the young person. The Pathway Plan must set out expectations for the Leaving Care Personal Adviser to see the care leaver, and if relevant, arrangements for staying in touch in other ways i.e. text, emails and phone conversations. In addition to face to face contact with care leavers (see Written Communication with Children and Young People Procedure).

The role of the social worker/Leaving Care Personal Adviser for 16 and 17 year olds is to take responsibility for the young person's statutory CLA needs and preparation for adulthood.

The role of the Leaving Care Personal Adviser for young people aged 18 plus is to meet their statutory leaving care needs which include:

• Provide support, advice & guidance (including practical advice and support);
• Participate in the assessment and preparation of the Pathway Plan;
• Participate in reviews of the Pathway Plan;
• Liaise with the responsible authority in the implementation of the Pathway Plan;
• Co-ordinate the provision of services and take reasonable steps to ensure that the young person makes use of such services;
• Stay informed about the young person's progress and well being;
• The Leaving Care Personal Adviser must maintain a written record of their contacts with the young person monitoring the effectiveness of services in preparing the young person for a time when they will move to greater independence;
• Assessing and checking the suitability of accommodation;
• When the care leaver moves to new accommodation, the Leaving Care Personal Adviser must see them at that accommodation within 7 days of the move and maintain weekly contact for the first 4 weeks. Subsequently they must see the care leaver at the point at which the pathway plan will be first reviewed - namely after 28 days (or sooner) - and then they must visit the care leavers at no less than 2/3 monthly intervals. It is important to understand that these are minimum requirements. Where care leavers develop problems as they assume the responsibilities of adulthood they should expect, and will require, much more frequent personal contact with their Leaving Care Personal Adviser;
• Visits should often be scheduled to take place at the accommodation where the young person lives. On each occasion the Leaving Care Personal Adviser must consider whether this accommodation continues to be suitable for the young person. The Leaving Care Personal Adviser will need to observe the general state of the property and check how well the care leaver is managing in their accommodation, including that they are managing their financial commitments for rent, utilities etc. Where a young person is living in semi-independent accommodation linked to the provision of housing related support, the Leaving Care Personal Adviser should monitor how well the accommodation, with its related support, is meeting the young person's needs. They should liaise closely with the young person and their housing support worker to identify and resolve any problems.

Contact for relevant and former relevant young people must be as prescribed in the 2010 Regulations. A record of contact must be kept, as well as actions taken to establish contact where contact has proved impossible or unwelcome. In some situations the Leaving Care Personal Adviser will have to balance the risk of alienating the young person with the need to maintain contact. Care leavers over 18 have the same right to privacy as any other adult.

In the discharge of their function when reviewing the Pathway Plan for under 18's the independent Reviewing Officer will ensure the Assessment of Need and Pathway Plan provides an impartial assessment and planning tool for delivering a leaving care service. Furthermore, the commissioned advocacy service also provides an additional impartial oversight mechanism.

For those who meet the Adult Services criteria, the provision of advocacy may be provided by POhWER.

When a young person reaches the age of 16 years and is deemed an eligible child, their Care Plan and Assessment of Need will be incorporated into a combined Care / Pathway Plan.

The Pathway Plan (Part 2) must be reviewed every 6 months until the young person reaches 21 (or beyond if they are in education or training), or sooner if the young person's circumstances change, or where the young person requests a review. While they remain looked after, the young person's Pathway Plan will be reviewed by an Independent Reviewing Officer within the CLA Reviewing system.

Frequency of Reviews of Pathway Plan when a Relevant or Former Relevant Young Person Moves to 'Supported' Accommodation

• Arrange a review 28 days (or as soon as practicable thereafter) from the time the accommodation is provided; and
• Determine at what intervals (not exceeding six months) subsequent reviews will be carried out;
• Reviews should be brought forward where there is an assessed risk that a crisis may develop in a young person's life, for example;
  • Where a young person has been charged with an offence and there is a possibility of their being sentenced to custody, which will risk losing their accommodation;
  • Where a young person is at risk of being evicted from their accommodation or otherwise threatened with homelessness;
  • Where professionals are concerned about the parenting capacity of a 'relevant' or Former Relevant' young person with there being a possibility that their own child may need to be the subject of a multi-agency safeguarding plan;
  • Where a young person requests a review;
  • Where a young person is pregnant or is an expectant father.

Joint protocols should cover:

• Arrangements for achieving planned, supportive transitions to independent living;
• Identifying homelessness risk early and acting to prevent it;
• Providing a quick, safe, joined up response for care leavers who do become homeless;
• Arrangements to reduce the impact of intentional homeless decisions for care leavers, including robust scrutiny and joint senior level sign off (for example, Director or Assistant Director) across children’s and housing services when intentional homelessness decisions are being considered. 

Before signing off a negative intentional homelessness decision for a care leaver, senior leaders should review the circumstances that have given rise to the decision, and take full account of their corporate parenting responsibilities, which must include considering any duties under the Children Act. This might, for example, mean that children’s services provides accommodation as an alternative. Where a young person is living outside the children’s services authority area, the authority in which they now reside should contact the relevant corporate parent to seek joint sign off.

Protocols should clearly lay out the processes followed by local authorities that support care leavers to transition to independent living and avoid homelessness. The joint protocol is an opportunity to bring together staff from across services and to build shared responsibility for supporting care leavers through a successful transition to adulthood and independent living. See The Homelessness Code of Guidance - Chapter 22: Care leavers.

Care leavers should have somewhere secure and stable to live that best meets their needs, where they feel safe and where they can develop their independence skills.

Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: Good Practice Advice (DfE and MHCLG) sets out the commitments, as corporate parents, local authorities should develop to commission and maintain accommodation for care leavers and how these, through their joint protocols, should be delivered in practice. The Guidance acknowledges the range of help and support care leavers require through a variety of circumstances, together with the duty local authorities have to prevent homelessness. The Guidance also reflects the importance of including the young person's views and feelings together with those who are involved with them.

Local authorities should develop protocols as to how a degree of flexibility and choice could be provided within residency criteria for housing authority allocation schemes. This could include providing looked after care leavers and care leavers:

• Are able to register for social housing with the housing authority of their choice in a two-tier area;
• Are able to register from out of area placements should they wish to return; landlords are engaged and supported to offer accommodation to care leavers;
• Can be registered for social housing in an area where they have been placed and have lived for some time.

Where private tenancies are offered, facilities should be considered where: there is access rent in advance / deposit schemes managed by housing authorities or commissioned providers; there are arrangements for ensuring accommodation is suitable for the young person, as set out in DfE and MHCLG guidance, (where placed under homelessness duties); the local authority will mitigate against the impact of a change in benefit entitlement once a young person reaches the age of 22 [1]; landlords are engaged, trained and supported to offer accommodation to care leavers, etc. (see Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: good practice advice, Section 2.9 Move on accommodation (DfE and MHCLG)).

For care leavers aged 21 or over the duty to assess needs, and develop and keep under review a pathway plan - apply only where the young person requests support. It is therefore important that joint housing protocols cover the support available from a local authority area to care leavers up to the age of 25.

Risks of tenancy breakdown or homelessness should be identified and addressed early; alternative plans and support should be put in place promptly when necessary andefforts made to avoid young people being deemed intentionally homeless. Although 'unintentional homelessness' is a cornerstone for housing authorities with regard to the prevention and relief of homelessness, the Homelessness code of guidance (section 22.17) states that local authorities should do all they can to avoid the impact of intentionally homeless decisions on care leavers.

It will be a matter for the housing authority to determine whether or not a care leaver has become homeless intentionally, taking into account all relevant facts. To inform this assessment, housing authorities should consult with the relevant children’s services authority and obtain advice and information as to the young person’s emotional and mental well-being, maturity and general ability to understand the impact of their actions. Local authorities should be satisfied that the support and accommodation provided thus far have sufficiently met the care leaver’s needs so as to consider they should be held accountable. Housing authorities should work with the Personal Adviser, young person or other relevant persons to make this assessment. In light of the vulnerability of care leavers and the instability they typically experience, it is expected that intentional homeless decisions are exceptional. It is a matter for local authorities to assess each case individually and through joint working between housing and children's services, give full consideration to the needs and vulnerabilities of the young person. A young person should have a 'Personalised Housing Plan' [2], (which could be included into their Pathway Plan), if there is a threat of, or actual homelessness, which sets out the steps the local authority and applicant will take to prevent, or relieve, a homeless situation. The personalised housing plan should be reviewed and the housing authority and Personal Adviser, or other trusted and connected persons and other relevant officers, should work together with the young person to try and resolve the issues as a priority, to avoid the impact of an intentional homelessness decision wherever possible.

It is particularly important to have strong contingency plans in place for care leavers who are identified as being at risk of homelessness. This would include care leavers with a history of placement breakdown, and/or those with additional needs such as mental health issues, learning disability, attachment disorder, substance misuse and experience of offending behaviour.

Protocols should also set out the process to be followed in order to:

• Enable an appeal where a care leaver is not satisfied that the accommodation being provided is suitable;
• Establish ways of resolving disputes, both within and between authorities.

Note: Bed and Breakfast Accommodation (B&B) is not considered as suitable accommodation other than in exceptional circumstances. On such occasions:

• The placement should be limited to two working days;
• The Local Authority provides appropriate supervision and contact with the young person; [3]
• Local areas that use B&Bs should include a statement on how its use will be minimised, and outline how care leavers will be supported and kept safe during a B&B placement. [4]

Houses in multiple occupation should only be used when it is a young person's choice and it is in their best interests.

See also: Joint Housing Needs Protocol.

^{[1] The Shared Accommodation Rate (SAR) limits the level of housing costs available to care leavers through housing benefit or universal credit to the cost of a room in a shared house. Care leavers are exempt from SAR until they reach the age of 22. From October 2023, the SAR exemption for care leavers will be extended to 25 years as announced in the Budget of February 2020 (from Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: good practice advice, Section 2.9 Move on accommodation (DfE and MHCLG)).
[2] The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.
[3] 7.12, DfE The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 3: Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers;
[4] Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: good practice advice (DfE and MHCLG).}

Whilst the young person is successfully living at home:

• A young person who is subject to a Care Order (s31) will remain eligible unless the Care Order is revoked;
• A young person who lives at home with a parent who holds parental responsibility for more than 6 months after the Care Order is revoked before their 18th birthday will become qualifying;
• When a young person looked after under s20 returns home that s20 status ends and they become a relevant child after Regulation 39 checklist has been approved, if they were previously eligible;
• If a young person successfully lives at home for 6 months or more they become a qualifying child following a Pathway Plan Review.

If a return home breaks down:

A young person aged 16/17 years deemed to be a qualifying child whose return home breaks down before their 18th birthday will automatically revert to being a relevant child. The authority is responsible for providing a placement or the means to secure a placement for all relevant children.

A young person subject to a Care Order will continue to be deemed eligible.

If the Care Order is not revoked before the young person reached the age of 18 then HCC retains the duty to support her/him as a former relevant child.

Qualifying young people can, following an assessment by the local authority, receive a service commensurate with services for eligible, relevant and former relevant young people; depending on their circumstances and an assessment of need.

Every effort will be made to ensure that young people are provided with flexible services and therefore remain engaged with the support provided by Children's Services. The Pathway Plan should focus on the provision of flexible services that ensures young people's needs are met, even where there may be reluctance to engage directly with the local authority. The Leaving Care Personal Adviser is responsible for the co-ordination of services, some of which may be provided by previous carers, community based organisations, such as Herts Young Homeless, a YC Hertfordshire LDD Mentor, Practical Partners Champion, or other support providers. Where a young person is reluctant to engage directly with services from the local authority, the Pathway Plan should set out how the local authority will meet their needs via the use of a range of support services.

Care leavers often have little information about their medical history and how to take care of their personal health. Therefore Children's Services, in partnership with other agencies, will ensure that all young people leaving care have sufficient knowledge and access to services to enable them to take good care of their health, including mental and emotional health. A healthy lifestyle also means relationships, sexual health and exercise, caring about oneself and having people to talk to.

See Health Care Assessments, Health Checks and Health Care Plans Procedure.

The Pathway Plan will build on the planning and action related to health while the young person was looked after. The maintenance of health records will be the basis of planning a healthy lifestyle with access to appropriate services.

Young people should be helped to take responsibility for their own health care, and the Pathway Plan must be clear about who is responsible for giving the necessary support. This should include help to establish and access free prescriptions and other health benefits where appropriate.

All care leavers must be encouraged to be registered with a General Practitioner and dentist with assistance where necessary.

The Children Looked After and Care Leaver's Health Service are available for all young people whilst under the care of HCC i.e. up to 21 years or 24 if still being supported by a Leaving Care Personal Adviser,ensuring that health promotion and health advice is available.

There are the same requirements for young parents, as for other care leavers, to provide a Pathway Plan focusing on accommodation, educational opportunities and life skills, as well as for appointing a Leaving Care Personal Adviser offering ongoing support.

However, the details of the plan could be different. Eligible and Relevant young parents are entitled to Universal Credit (but not the housing element). Making a claim for Universal Credit will enable a claim for Sure Start Maternity Grant to be made. Hertfordshire Children's Services should assess the need to provide a placement or financial support to cover the costs of accommodation for eligible and relevant young parents. Any decisions to provide financial assistance or resources should be made via the Leaving Care Finance Policy and/or PARP.

Some young parents may require support with employment and educational opportunities, and can be assisted by the Education, Training and Employment Service for Children in Public Care.

Young parents can be particularly isolated and Leaving Care Personal Advisers should give particular attention to leisure interests, family contact, childcare arrangements and specialist support provision for young parents, such as Ohana.

Where a young person is going to have a baby (expectant mother or father), the Pathway Plan Review must be brought forward once the pregnancy is known (see Section 10, Reviewing the Plan).

Consideration must also be given to the support needs of expectant mothers or fathers and whether further assessment would be suitable (e.g. pre-birth assessment). For more information, please refer to the HSCP, Pre-Birth Protocol, Procedures and Guidance for Pre-Birth Assessment.

Care Order

Young people subject to a Care Order (S31) remain subject to that Order.

Remanded Section 20

Young people who were accommodated and are remanded and who are subject to Section 20 remain Looked After whilst subject to remand. On being sentenced they cease to be Looked After.

Remanded from Home – Living with Parents

Young people who were not Looked After become Looked After under Section 21 on being remanded into custody and cease to be Looked After on being sentenced (see above). The requirements of the Visits to Former Looked After Children in Detention Regulations 2010 apply (see Former Children Looked After in Detention Procedure).

Care Leavers

Where a care leaver has support from youth offending or the National Probation Service, the Leaving Care Personal Adviser will work closely with the young person's key worker to ensure that care planning takes into account entitlements and support needs as a care leaver. Should a care leaver be in secure accommodation, the Leaving Care Personal Adviser will liaise with the young person's key worker to ensure contact and care planning, including moving on arrangements upon the young person's release from prison.

From April 2011 each local authority has been required to have a "Staying Put" policy that sets out the local arrangements for extending placement arrangements beyond the age of 18.

Hertfordshire's Staying Put Policy, Procedure and Flowchart is set out in a separate chapter (see Staying Put Policy).

Young people, who are not looked after, should receive their national insurance number at the age of 15 years and 9 months. The National Insurance Number is sent to the address where Child Benefit is being claimed for the young person. However, as there is no child benefit claim for the majority of looked after children, the National Insurance number is not automatically issued. Therefore, when the young person is 15 years and 9 months, an application for a National Insurance Number must be undertaken by the young person's Social Worker.

The Social Worker / Leaving Care Personal Adviser should contact the New Registration Department, DWP Contributions Agency, New Registrations, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne NE98 1YX (A - L TEL (019122) 53662; M - Z TEL (019122) 57946; FAX: 08459 157384 to request form number: CA35OU which should be completed to obtain the national insurance number for a young person.

Such requests must be made on headed paper in the name of the Director of Children's Safeguarding and Specialist Services, and must include the following details:

• Name and date of birth of the young person;
• Date the young person became looked after;
• Current address;
• Previous three addresses;
• Current address of parent(s);
• If the young person is an asylum seeker, copies of Home Office documents.

The Social Worker should also ensure that each young person has a passport and copy of their birth certificate.

Care leavers must receive clear information about their entitlements and other relevant support services. The Leaving Care Personal Adviser will ensure that each young person is given relevant leaving care information to inform their decision making.

Young people must be given the necessary assistance to identify and access the services they need.

Please also see HCC Information Page for Care Leavers.

Care leavers are particularly at risk of missing out on good career and further education opportunities. Pathway planning will seek to maximise and support these opportunities.

Children Services will give financial support to care leavers undertaking agreed courses of further education or training. Links should be made to the Virtual School 16 Plus Team.

Where young people are undertaking apprenticeships, every effort should be made to ensure continuity in their accommodation to prevent disruption to their apprenticeship.

Leaving Care Personal Advisers should encourage wider participation in further and higher education by care leavers and ensure support is in place for appropriate education opportunities in higher and further education as agreed in their Pathway Plan. Support is available for young people wishing to continue their education from the Virtual School 16 Plus Team.

Where a young person wishes to commence a further education course after their 19th birthday, funding will be considered following an assessment of need and of the motivation of the young person to undertake, sustain and complete the course. The Leaving Care Personal Adviser should discuss the young person's application for education support with their Team Manager, who will be able to seek further advice and guidance from the Virtual School for Children Looked After and Care Leavers.

Young people between the ages of 21 and 25 years can return to their Local Authority as a former relevant young person, and request support to resume education or training. Following assessment of suitability, the Local Authority would support the young person until the programme of education is over. Following acceptance by the Local Authority, the young person is entitled to a Leaving Care Personal Adviser and a Pathway Plan.

Leaving Care Personal Advisers need to provide young people with advice and support in seeking and sustaining employment, whilst recognising that it may take time for them to find the career to which they are best suited. This will include helping them to access alternative programmes that prepare them for work in a supportive environment.

Additionally, Services for Young People, formerly YC Hertfordshire can support care leavers. All services in One Stop Shops are available until their 25th birthday. Care Leavers who are seeking employment, education and training opportunities can receive guidance to make decisions about their future and receive support with their application All apprenticeships and some vacancies in Hertfordshire are displayed on the YC Hertfordshire website; young people can create an account, produce a CV and get support with their application with our Keeping in Touch Team. The team will send out emails and texts to alert young people to any vacancies that match the area and occupational preferences.

There are a number of programmes to support young people into work or education including care leavers; these may include experiences of work or traineeships or apprenticeships. As the programmes change all the time, contact Services for Young People for the latest information. These programmes can:

• Reflect the young person's individual abilities, interests and aspirations;
• Are used creatively to increase the young person's employability skills;
• Develop confidence, skill and motivation;
• Promote the idea that the young person can benefit from work;
• Raise awareness of the authority re their potential as employers of young people who are care leavers. See the Services for Young People Recruitment & Careers Hub.

Costs associated with specified clothing/uniform, start-up equipment, health and safety equipment, or public transport from accommodation to employment until receipt of first earnings may be supported via funding from our Virtual School or the Department for Work & Pensions.

Services for Young People One Stop Shops are in Stevenage, Hatfield, Cheshunt, Hemel Hempstead and Watford, supporting young people throughout the county. Each Hub will have a dedicated Youth Support Worker in Charge to engage and support those care leavers referred to the programme.

This section should be read in conjunction with the Homeless 16 and 17 Year Olds Procedure.

The Joint Housing protocol procedures for Homeless 16/17 year olds and Intentionally Homeless Families also applies to Care leavers aged 18 - 25. The procedures emphasise the importance of the Social Worker placing the names of Children Looked After / care leavers on the local authority housing waiting list as soon as they reach the age of 16. This will enable them to build up residence points under their care leaver status when they reach 18 years of age. In addition S&SS will have alerted the local authority Housing Department 6 months prior to the young person's 18th birthday of the impending housing need.

The ten District Councils and County Council are working in partnership to ensure young people make a smooth transition to independent living which avoids the need to present as homeless. The District Housing Authorities have responsibility to give priority to care leavers. They must be involved in the pathway planning process.

Young people leaving care are particularly at risk of becoming homeless, and have an absolute right to be offered accommodation suitable to their needs.

The authority has a responsibility to fund and support separated migrant care leavers aged 18 and over who are former relevant children and where they have no recourse to public funds (following a human rights assessment), until the age of 21, until they are removed, or until the date of removal, which ever comes first.

For Applications for Benefits Refer to the Hertfordshire - Leaving Care Financial Policy Guidance.