Your best possible future

Making sure every young person leaving care has the support they need.

We want to make sure every young person leaving care has the support they need to achieve their goals in life. One of they ways we do this is by helping you to overcome challenges to accessing employment, education and training.

We recognise that the support each individual care leaver might need will vary from person to person. To ensure we can help you with your specific needs we have developed a network of specialist education, training and employment workers to support you. We also have connections with other agencies in Gloucestershire, such as the Job Centre, who can help young people develop their future career plans and find employment, training or apprenticeship opportunities. We will support you to engage with these agencies so that you develop a network of support around yourself.

We have developed a programme that offers tailored work experience and apprenticeship opportunities at Gloucestershire County Council and in other local organisations. If you want to know more about this ask your worker about the “Work It Out” programme.

We will support you to write your Personal Education Plan, ensure you can access everything that you need and help you link with opportunities for Further Education. Gloucestershire Virtual School can offer support to ensure your educational needs are met. The law says we must provide you with assistance with expenses linked with employment, education and training. In Gloucestershire:

• We will give you 100 free journeys when you need to travel to a new course of education, apprenticeship or employment. Your best possible future Making sure every young person leaving care has the support they need.
• We will help you to apply for bursaries that you may be eligible for if you are studying .
• If you go to University we will provide you with a Higher Education (HE) bursary of at least £2,000 per academic year and we will give you £50 each week to help with the cost of living while you are at university.
• We will help and support you to find somewhere suitable to stay during university holidays.
• When you complete your university course we will give you an achievement award of £2000.
• If you decide to continue your education to postgraduate level we will give you a bursary of £2000.
• If you choose to start an apprenticeship you can apply for a £1000 bursary to help the transition into the workplace. From August 2018, you will be entitled to an additional £1,000 to help you in the first year of your apprenticeship. You will also be able to apply for a bursary for suitable clothing.