Care Leavers - Your education, training and employment

During years 12 and 13 at school we will attend your Personal Educational Plan (PEP) meeting to support you in ensuring that you are achieving to the best of your ability; also we will liaise with colleges/schools to access additional support where necessary.

Key things to know: 

If you have any concerns or questions about education you can email the virtual school: theresa.elvin@doncaster.gov.uk or Andrew.Bowling@doncaster.gov.uk

If you need to retake your Maths and English GCSEs we will support you and pay for 1:1 private tuition to make sure that you are given the best opportunity to get the grades you need.

Key things to know: 

If you do not get the grade you expected or needed, it is important that you do not panic; speak to your Social Worker or PA as soon as possible so that we can help you to put in place any support that is needed.

If further education is where you feel you need to be then we will support you to apply and access the right course for you. There are a number of funds available to you including:

16-19 Bursary is a bursary of £1200. You need to apply for this directly from your student services advisor at college during the first week of your studies.

Discretionary Learner Support Fund is provided by the college and there are strict criteria for accessing this fund. Any financial support provided must be used for:

• Travel costs
• Financial hardships and emergencies
• Essential course equipment, materials and field trips
• Childcare costs

The Care to Learn scheme is provided by the government and can help with childcare costs while you study. You must be aged under 20 at the start of your course. The scheme is available for publicly-funded courses in England and includes courses in:

• Schools
• Sixth-forms in schools
• Sixth-form colleges

The scheme can help with the cost of:

• your childcare, including deposit and registration fees
• a childcare taster session for up to 5 days
• keeping your childcare place over the summer holidays
• taking your child to their childcare provider

Read more about further education on the Gov.uk website

Key things to know: 

• Remember, discretionary means that support is at the college’s discretion and they do not have to provide this support. It is also often provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
• If you are advised that support is not available for any of the funding packages, it is important that you speak to your PA immediately.

Going to university provides an exciting opportunity for you to develop many of the essential skills you may need in your choice of career and working life. Your PA can support you in deciding whether university is for you and help you to access the relevant information in order to make an informed decision. They can also support you with university visits, your application to university and your application for financial support from Student Finance England. If you need them to, they will also liaise directly with the university to ensure that all other support is available to you.

If you are a care leaver and you decide that higher education or a university degree course is for you, we will also provide you with the following financial support:

• Accommodation costs (up to 52 weeks if needed)
• Assistance with the initial costs of moving to and from university
• A bursary of £2000 each year which is paid as a weekly amount of £38.46. This is in addition to the support you are entitled to from Student Finance England

Read more about student finances on the Gov.uk website

Key things to know: 

All young people regardless of their circumstances have to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan each year.

All young people regardless of their circumstances have to apply for a Maintenance Loan each year

The application forms, PN1 (New Students) and PR1 (Continuing Students) can be downloaded; however, they recommend applying on line.

Information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/student-finance-forms

You may also be entitled to additional support from the university which often have additional funds and grants for care leavers.

We will support you for a maximum of four years of university study.

If you are thinking about applying for university, then speak to your PA and ask to see the Financial Support for 18+ Higher Education Students.

Apprenticeships and training schemes are a great way to learn practical work skills while you are earning. If you get an apprenticeship or traineeship, we will provide you with travel money and assist you until you receive your first salary.

There are thousands of apprenticeship opportunities available. Apprenticeships can also be another way of gaining a higher education degree.

Key things to know: 

You may still be eligible for Housing Benefit and rent top-up from Social Care (talk to your PA to ensure you are getting all the financial help available to you).

If you need extra help with managing your money and benefits advice, speak to your PA. (Have you attended the Money Management course? If not, ask your PA to sign you up).

Speak to your PA if you would like more information about Apprenticeships.

We have Careers Advisors (PA for EET) who will support you to look at careers and plan your journey through individual tailored Information, Advice and Guidance.

You will create an action plan with them looking at your goals and create action steps as to how you will achieve them.

Your PA and the PA for EET will support you on the path to achieving your goal.

We can help with CV writing, job and college applications and provide information on preparation for work, college or training.

If you don’t think you are ready to participate in Education, Employment or Training then volunteering might be for you. It is a great option to help you develop these skills and give you confidence. It is also a great way to get into the type of work you are interested in.

Key things to know: 

If you were to drop out of college/lose your apprenticeship/employment, this will signposted to the PA for EET in the Inspiring Futures Team who will help you to get back on track and discuss your options/choices with you. They will then liaise with agencies to further support your plans and progress.

You do not get paid for volunteering. It can improve your confidence and employability. You can add this to your CV as work experience.

You may study at university if you are an Asylum-Seeking Young Person. The financial help available and tuition fees you need to pay will depend on your immigration status, and where you live (your residential status).

Course providers charge different tuition fees for different categories of students, so make sure you enter the correct status on your application.

Where you live and plan to study in the UK can affect your eligibility for student finance. Full details can be found on the UKCISA website by following the links below:

England – tuition fees and student finance

Scotland – tuition fees and student finance

Wales – tuition fees and student finance

Northern Ireland – tuition fees and student finance

If you need further help with your fee status, Coram Children’s Legal Centre can provide free legal advice.

Read more about tuition fees on the UCAS website

Key thing to know:

If you are interested in applying for university, it will depend on your immigration status. Speak to your PA.

The Civil Service Care Leaver Internship Scheme provides exciting opportunities which enable care leavers to experience working in central government. The aim of the internships is to help develop skills and competencies which, it is hoped, will strengthen your career prospects for the longer term.

The internships will be hosted across various Government Departments and agencies, which have offices in locations across England, Scotland and Wales. The locations for these roles will be determined once they are finalised by the various participating Government departments and agencies, and further information will also be available at Civil Service job search - Civil Service Jobs - GOV.UK

No qualifications are required to apply for the internships, but applicants must be a care leaver aged between 18-30. Successful applicants will be asked to confirm their care leaver status (e.g., through a letter from their local authority Personal Adviser, another officer from their local authority, or a named contact in their supporting organisation).

The internships will be offered at two levels: Administrative Officer (typical salary £18,000 per annum) or Executive Officer (typical salary £22,000 per annum). London salaries may be higher. Those who apply for the Executive Officer role may be considered for the Administrative Officer role if unsuccessful with their Executive Officer application.

Administrative Officers (AOs) provide administrative support whilst working within a team structure and do not have line management responsibilities.

Executive Officers (EOs) are typically involved in problem solving, business planning and policy making within Government, usually working within a supportive team structure under the direction of relevant team leaders. EOs can also hold individual responsibility for pieces of work within a programme or project.

An online application will open for applications until Friday 24th September 2021.

Those interested in the scheme can create an account on Civil Service Jobs and sign-up for Department for Education ‘job alert’ for AO and EO jobs.

The St Leger Homes World of Work Academy WOW) is available to help you search for employment. This could be an apprenticeship, a traineeship or a permanent job. It is free to join and you chose how much help you receive.

Our general employment help will keep you up to date with job vacancies and opportunities and if you see something you are interested in, the WOW team can help you with a CV or an application. And if you are offered an interview, we will also help you prepare. The team have sat the other side of the interview table in many interviews and so can pass on those little hints and tips that could secure you a job. We can talk to you over the phone, by email or meet you at a local library or a St Leger Home’s office so you shouldn’t need to travel far for help.

The WOW scheme also offers something called “Support and Learn”. If you are 19 or older, you attend a short 4 week course at Doncaster College and then have the opportunity to apply for a guaranteed interview at St leger Homes. If successful, you can come and work at St Leger Homes in a paid training role for six months, gaining lots of experience and the possibility of moving onto an Apprenticeship or a Permanent position. These opportunities are only open to the people who complete the course and so you have a great chance of success as you won’t be competing with the general public.

If you are interested in finding out more, or if you want to join the WOW scheme, all you have to do is either click on the link below or give us a call on 01302 734384 and we will do the rest.

www.stlegerhomes.co.uk/worldofwork

It takes two minutes to sign up and you will then be giving yourself the best chance of success in starting your career. So what are you waiting for?