Support

It's important that we provide you with the best support we can offer.

This could be from your personal adviser or from other services that offer advocacy or support groups in the area you live.

From your corporate parents

Lancashire County Council and our partners have made promises to children in care and care leavers about the support we will give you. 

Advice and support from a personal adviser

Your personal adviser is there to help you to prepare to live independently and to offer advice and support after you leave care. Personal advisers should talk to you about what support you need and record this information in your pathway plan.

Age 16-18

Just before your 16th birthday you'll be allocated a personal adviser. They will give you advice and guidance and help prepare you for living independently (along with your carer and social worker). This will include a plan to help you make the transition from care to independent life – called a pathway plan.

Age 18-21

Once you turn 18, in most cases, you'll no longer have a social worker. Your personal adviser will make sure you get the services you need and help co-ordinate your pathway plan and reviews.

Age 21-25

If you are not in education or training, our support will end around your 21st birthday. However up to your 25th birthday you can return to us to be assessed for support if you need it.

The support you receive from your personal adviser does not need to end on your 21st Birthday. You can receive support up to your 25th Birthday even if you're not in education, training or employment.

However if you feel that you no longer need support then that’s ok, your case can be closed but you can request support anytime up to the age of 25.

Ask Jan

If you're aged 18 to 25 your personal adviser can refer you to a service called 'Ask Jan' for extra support if you need it.

Ask Jan provides:

• Personal finance advice – mortgages, pensions, savings, debt, insurance
• 24-hour counselling helpline - direct and immediate access to a BACP accredited counsellor
• Up to 8 face to face counselling sessions per issue with a BACP accredited counsellor
• Nutrition, exercise, stress and wellbeing advice
• Access to My Possible Self App
• Online cognitive behavioural therapy
• Housing advice helpline 8am to 8pm
• Legal advice helpline 8am to 8pm
• Citizen's advice helpline 8am to 8pm
• Discounts and special offers on days out and activities with The Max Card
• Access to all other Rees Foundation projects

Ask your personal adviser for more information.

Extra support

Your leaving care team will consider with you what extra support you may need. Here are some examples of care leavers who might need extra help. We've provided some links for more information too.

Young people with special educational needs or a disability

For more information, there is also a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) local offer.

Unaccompanied asylum seeking young people

For more detailed information see the migrant children section of the Coram Children's Legal Centre website.

Young parents

If you are a young parent, we will support you to do the best for them. We will help you arrange childcare, if this is what you want. Talk to your personal adviser about the different support groups in the area you live.

Independent support

You have a right to support from an independent advocate if you want to challenge decisions about the support we give you.

Independent advocates can inform you about your rights and help you to be heard in meetings. They are separate from Children’s Services and are available to care leavers up to the age of 25.

You can request an advocate from the National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS).

Help

If you need to contact Lancashire children's social care call 0300 123 6720 or out of hours you can call 0300 123 6722 (8pm-8am Monday to Friday and any time during weekends and bank holidays).

You can also ring the above numbers if you

• can't reach your social worker or personal adviser and need to speak to someone 
• are a care leaver aged 21-24 and would like to request support from a leaving care personal adviser

More information and advice

The care leavers local offer has information about other support available to you as a care leaver. The events and community page has more information about groups for care leavers and community groups.

Talkzone can offer general advice and support for young people, get in touch with us for help.

Other organisations that provide information and advice: 

• Children's Commissioner - help at hand - support and advice if you want to make a complaint / you’re not getting the right support / you’re worried about placement moves, housing, finances or your future /you’re not being heard / you feel unsafe.
• Become - online advice and information for children in care and care leavers. Also see their factsheet The name game, a guide to the people you’ll probably meet in children’s services, if you’re in care or a care leaver.
• Coram Voice - information about your rights and entitlements as a care leaver.
• The care leavers association – a charity aimed at improving the lives of care leavers of all ages.

 

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