Supporting our care leavers to achieve and succeed
There are lots of ways we can help care leavers to achieve and succeed.
Virtual School
The Virtual School is a passionate team of teachers and dedicated educational professionals who work to support the education of children in our care, children previously in care and those who have had a social worker. Staff at the Virtual School also work closely with social workers, personal advisers, the Youth Support Service, schools and colleges, carers and support workers. The Virtual School will continue to support care experienced young people with further education, training and employment up to the age of 18 or the end of year 13 in education.
Find out more about the Virtual School.
University support
We're committed to supporting you to realise your aspirations and helping you with attending a university course, if this is what you want to do. Your personal adviser will support you with identifying courses and applying for these. We also provide additional financial support to any young people who successfully gain and maintain a university placement, on top of the national student finance that is available to you. You can find more details of this support in the financial guide or by speaking to your personal adviser.
Youth Support Service
As a care leaver, you can seek advice and support from the Youth Support Service (YSS) up to 25 for care experienced young people).
This support includes:
- engaging and supporting young people into education, employment and training who are isolated
- promoting the Youth Voice to raise the profile, representation and support of all young people across Central Bedfordshire
- engaging the young people in a range of informal learning opportunities through targeted youth work provision
- working in close partnership with schools and providers to ensure they are actively engaged in the consideration of career pathways for young people
Employment support
We know that education isn’t for everyone and therefore the Youth Support Service and your personal adviser can also support you with employability skills, interview skills and job application guidance or writing a CV.
Finding a job
Our personal advisers work closely with the 3 Jobcentre Plus services in Bedfordshire, which provide designated workers, called youth work coaches, for care leavers. These workers can support and advise you on how to access local employment and training to gain employment.
Your personal adviser will also support you in attending your first appointment with your work coach if you want them to, and they can share any relevant information with the work coach on your behalf, so they understand your needs and can help you reach your goals.
How else we can help
Throughout 2024 we have also been developing extra support to help you get into work, this includes:
The guaranteed interview scheme
This applies to Central Bedfordshire job roles up to Grade 14 and provides applicants the opportunity to tell us on their application form, that they are a care experienced young person. If they meet the minimum criteria for the role, they will be guaranteed an interview for the job.
Ringfenced job opportunities
We have 2 paid employment opportunities for care-experienced young people. These are called ‘lived experience’ posts, which are solely for care-experienced young people. These are paid jobs, that can be completed without affecting benefits and/or can be worked alongside other education or training, while also developing employability skills. The roles are 12-month contracts at 16 hours per week.
We will:
- help you with equipment, uniform, & travel where your bursary does not meet what you need, if it is agreed this is needed
- provide you with a termly bus or train pass if you are in education or training (college/ school/ apprenticeship) and your college/ provider does not already provide this
- consider providing you with a top up payment if your income through an apprenticeship is lower than you would otherwise receive through Universal Credit, and you are not eligible for Universal Credit
- if you are in higher education (advance courses/degree level), provide a maintenance grant of £4,250 per academic year; this is paid directly into your bank account to cover accommodation, including vacation accommodation, food, bills, recreational/leisure costs – the grant will be paid in 3 instalments per year in September, January and April. It will be paid per annum for each year you are studying. If you choose to undertake a degree and then turn 25 years old part way through, then you would be expected to source student finance for the remainder of your course (unless you are within your final year)
If you are a qualifying care leaver (you are aged between 16 and up to your 21st birthday or up to 25 if you are in education and you were in care for less than 13 weeks on or after your 16th birthday but are no longer looked after), we will consider supporting you with equipment, uniform and travel where your bursary does not meet what you need. If you spent time in care as a child before being under a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) you will be a care leaver with rights as a qualifying care leaver and if you were privately fostered you may be a care leaver, with rights as a qualifying care leaver but you should seek advice from us on this.
Check the Coram Voice eligibility checker to see if you have rights as a qualifying care leaver.