What Next
You can leave school on the last Friday in June if you will be 16 by the end of the summer holidays.
You then have to do one of the following until you are 18:
-
start an apprenticeship
-
get a job that includes training
-
stay in full time education at school or college
When you leave care Children’s Services at your local council must make sure you have a Personal Adviser who should help you decide what you want to do next, make sure you’ve got somewhere to live and enough money until you are 18 then continue to support you until you’re 25
If you don’t know who is looking after you at the council put your postcode into this website and get the phone number. When you ring them up ask for Children’s Services https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council
This website will tell you what you are entitled to from your local council, including giving you a Personal Adviser to help you plan your life after being in care https://www.gov.uk/leaving-foster-or-local-authority-care
If you are having problems getting help from Children’s Services you can contact these organisations:
A charity for care leavers called Become on 0800 023 2033 https://www.becomecharity.org.uk/contact
IMO, an organisation run with care leavers with a helpline 0800 528 0731 http://imohub.org.uk/about/