Corporate Parenting Strategy 2025 to 2030

Our aim is for all care experienced young people to have access to safe, suitable and affordable housing and for them to be fully supported when they first set up a tenancy to prevent housing difficulties, debt or homelessness. We recognise that care leavers have varying needs and levels of maturity and are not always ready to manage living independently, therefore any moves into independence should take account of their individual needs and any support available.

Young people are supported to develop the skills required to lead successful adult lives. Our aim is to support our care leavers practically, emotionally and financially as any parent would. Our independence skills programme is used to equip young people with the life skills they need.

We aim to ensure that moving towards independence, including the use of Adult Services, are well supported.

The Leaving Care service work with young people to identify their support networks and key relationships as they move into adulthood. The identification of those young people whose networks could be strengthened will allow us to put in place targeted support.

This work links to the Government’ lifelong guardianship proposal as part of ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’.

• Continue to implement the independent living skills tool to provide young people with the practical skills required to live independently and maintain their own homes.
• Promote and support young people to remain living with their foster carer after 18 and up to the age of 21 if they wish to do so under a “Staying Put” arrangement.
• We will help young people make the most of their opportunities in training, further education and employment.
• From the age of 17.5, young people will have a personal advisor to help them to become independent. Care leavers can continue with this support up until the age of 25 if they wish to do so.
• Continue to review our joint Housing Protocol to ensure it sets out how we work collaboratively to identify routes to independent accommodation.
• We will ensure our care leavers are given as much help as possible to find suitable housing. We will jointly work with colleagues in Housing to ensure housing is sustainable and affordable. Fortnightly meetings will continue with Housing colleagues to review care leavers bidding and identify barriers and collective planning.
• Increase availability of housing for young people leaving care through internal and partnership arrangements and the development of a guarantor scheme.
• Review implementation of the independence skills tool to support young people leaving care to transition into independent living and stable tenancies.
• Revisit the development of a hub for young people leaving care to maintain connections, reduce loneliness and isolation and increase access to support.

• Increase in percentage of young people in “Staying Put” arrangements
• At 17.5 years, young people will have a personal advisor to help them to become independent. Care leavers can continue with this support up until the age of 25 if they wish to do so.
• Increase availability of housing for young people leaving care through internal and partnership arrangements and the development of a guarantor scheme.
• Review implementation of use of independence skills tool.
• Feedback from our young people will report feeling supported through the transition into independent living.