Care leavers: Your health and wellbeing matter to us
This doesn’t just mean exercising and eating vegetables (although this is an important part of staying healthy), it also covers mental wellbeing, how you manage emotions and good sexual health. We will help you prepare to be ready to leave care by supporting you to develop practical self-care and life skills, health, budgeting, domestic skills and personal and professional relationships.
We will help you prepare to be ready to leave care by supporting you to develop practical selfcare and life skills, health, budgeting, domestic skills and with personal and professional relationships.
You will receive a Health Passport which details your health history. Keep this safe for when you may need it. At the back of this book there are useful contacts of organisations, when registering with a GP or a dentist. It is important that you take care of yourself and speak to your personal adviser about any health worries. Your pathway plan will also detail any health needs that you may have, remember to keep your personal adviser updated.
Children in Care Health Service
The Children in Care Health Service (previously known and the LAC health service) is provided by Bedfordshire Children's Community Health Services and aims to ensure that Children in Care have good health, by providing all round health care from birth up to their 18th birthday.
The service offers health assessments to all children in care from birth up to their 18th birthday. This assessment helps to identify health needs and puts a plan in place to help with these needs. It is also a chance for young people to ask questions around their health or to talk about any health worries they might have.
In Central Bedfordshire we have a dedicated Children in Care nurse who meets with young people about to leave the Council’s care and can continue to offer support up to when you turn 25 years old. The nurse can talk about and give advice on all areas of your health, including sexual health, smoking and the use of any substances. You can talk to your Personal Adviser about how to access this support or contact the: Children in Care Health Service, on 0300 555 0606 or email ccs.beds.children.lac@nhs.net.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
CAMHS provides outpatient assessments, support and treatment for children and young people up to the age of 18 years who are experiencing moderate to severe mental health problems.
The service works to provide them with a greater knowledge of their condition and improve coping techniques. They provide help to children and to the wider family, including those living with foster families, adopted children and children in care living in children's homes.
If you have been working with CAMHS before turning 18 years old, they will work with you to see if you will need support after you turn 18 years old. If you do, they will refer you to the Adult Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) and arrange to work with them, so you get the support you need as an adult.
If you are struggling with your emotional health and do not have support from either of these services, please speak to your personal adviser or your GP for support options.
Healthier Together
Healthier Together provides lots of helpful information, advice and local services to support your health and wellbeing, including what to do if you are in mental health crisis.
LGBTQ+ support
We embrace diversity, and we will work with you to make sure that you feel you are able and happy to be yourself. If you need support, advice and guidance around exploring your identity, coming out and family relationships, please talk to your personal adviser, you can also find support and local events from LGBT Bedfordshire.
Integrated Contraception and Sexual Health services
iCaSH (Integrated Contraception and Sexual Health) is a service that provides all aspects of sexual and reproductive health, including contraception, sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV testing and treatment. iCaSH clinics are available at locations across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Milton Keynes, Norfolk and Peterborough. iCaSH also provides outreach services including free condoms, Chlamydia screening and sexual health advice and signposting.
Additional support from us
Our care-experienced community has asked us to provide more opportunities to come together so they feel like a community. Starting in January 2025, across Central Bedfordshire we are hosting sports/wellbeing events for care leavers with CAMHS, to promote relationship building and to provide an opportunity for our children and young adults seeking sanctuary to practice their English with native speakers, too. Please ask your personal adviser for dates for your diary!
Our care-experienced community has also asked us to host more local drop-ins, in care leaver hubs, following the first one we held in autumn 2024. We are planning to host these in youth centres across Central Bedfordshire including our other services such as our leisure team who offer free gym and swim to care leavers. Your personal adviser will let you know the dates of our hub drop-ins and if you need help to attend, please let them know.