The Leaving Care Service assists Looked After young people through the process of Leaving Care and provides aftercare advice, support and financial assistance both to Bradford care leavers and also, on behalf of other Authorities, to care leavers from other areas who come to live in Bradford.
The Service also provides advice and support to homeless 16 and 17 year old young people in need and to 16 and 17 year old unaccompanied asylum seekers who are living independently.
The definition of 'care leaver' and the different categories of care leaver ('Eligible', 'Relevant', 'Former Relevant' and 'Qualifying') are set out in The Leaving Care Act 2000. The Act introduces a range of requirements and responsibilities in respect of accommodation, financial support, needs assessment and pathway planning, provision of leaving care personal advisers, assistance towards education, employment and training, maintaining contact, promoting health and identity and dealing with representations and complaints. The main aim of the Service is to implement the Act and the philosophy behind it.
The Service is unable to provide advice and support to all homeless 16 and 17 year old young people in need and is only able to work with young people who cannot access or maintain accommodation without its support.
Service is delivered through bases at Odsal and Shipley. Care leaver referrals are co-ordinated at 'transitions meetings' attended by Senior Care Managers representing both the Leaving Care Service and the Looked After Team. Referrals on homeless children in need are received at both bases depending on the young person’s postcode and referrals on unaccompanied asylum seeking children are made directly to the Assessment Teams, where the referrals are then passed on to the Looked After teams and/or the Leaving Care Service – dependant upon circumstances.
How to get in touch:
Telephone enquiries to the duty service on 01274 436760 (Odsal) and 01274 437123 (Shipley). There is a freephone number for young people to contact the Leaving Care Service – given to all Service clients.
Postal addresses are:
The Leaving Care Service, (Bradford Services to Children & Young People),
Odsal Resource Centre, 6, Odsal Road, Bradford, BD6 1AT
or
39, Kirkgate, Shipley, BD18 3QZ
