Care leavers local offer - your team

We will make sure that if you're Eligible, Relevant or Former Relevant, you have a named Personal Adviser before your 16 birthday who can guide and support you until you are 25, if you need us.

At Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council we have a range of workers who can support you including your Independent Reviewing Officer, your Progression Adviser from the Virtual School, and your Personal Adviser.

If you continue to be cared for between the ages of 16 to 18, your Personal Adviser will meet with you and your Social Worker so you can get to know each other.

Personal Adviser 

We will ensure you have a named Personal Adviser before your 16th birthday, who is there to guide and support you until the age of 25 if you need it.

A Personal Adviser is your trusted adult that will help you feel safe and supported and make sure you always know where or who to go to for advice and help.  

Your Personal Adviser will help you:

• by offering advice and support as you leave care 
• prepare to live with more independence and develop your skills
• find a safe place to live
• access further or higher education
• find suitable work or quality training
• take care of your physical and emotional wellbeing
• by offering financial advice and support
• build safe relationships and good support networks

Your assessment will be used by you and your Social Worker or Personal Adviser to create your initial Pathway Plan. This is your plan and will be co-produced with you. This plan will set out a pathway of your choice as you move towards independence. The plan will be reviewed at least every six months to include any changes that you want to make as you get older.

Your Pathway Plan will include:

• your accommodation - your rights and housing options
• your education, training, employment needs
• your relationships with family and friends
• any practical skills you need to live independently and how to get them
• any personal support you need for your health needs

Your Pathway Plan is your opportunity to plan for the future.

Sometimes we know that you could need extra support due to other things that you're experiencing, these could be because:

• you have special educational needs or a disability
• you're a Separated Migrant child, and your immigration status is unclear
• you're in or leaving custody
• you're a young parent
• you're going through a challenging time in your personal life

We're here to guide you through these times, and we make sure we have the right services to offer you the support you need.

Progression Adviser - Virtual School 

Your Progression Adviser will support you from secondary school right through to age 20 but will be working with you during school years 11 to 13. They will offer support which empowers you to make informed and good choices for your post-school journey through education, employment, or training. The support from your Progression Adviser can extend to academic year 15 if you are struggling to engage in education or work. 

Your Progression Advisers can attend all your important meetings including Care Planning, Personal Education Plans, as well as review meetings such as Education Health Care Plan and Pathway Plan reviews. 

Progression Advisers work closely with your Personal Adviser (PA) and Virtual School staff to get you the best support. They will also link in with other agencies including schools, colleges, and social care to make sure everyone is providing the best service.

Independent Reviewing Officer role - Post 16

If you're an eligible young person your Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) will work with you, your Social Worker and Personal Adviser from your sixteenth birthday onwards to make sure that your Pathway Plan meets your needs and that you have a say in how that plan looks. Your Independent Reviewing Officer will chair Pathway Reviews alongside you and will make sure that your voice is heard, and the right support is in place for you. If this is not happening, the Independent Reviewing Officer has an important role in challenging the Local Authority to make sure that the right support is in place for you.

An Independent Reviewing Officer is:

• someone who will support you and chair your regular Pathway Reviews to ensure your care needs are being met
• someone who will support you to chair your own Pathway Review meeting if that's what you want
• someone who can advocate on your behalf and challenge the Local Authority if the support you need is not in place
• someone who will listen to your wishes and views and make sure these are fully represented within review meetings

Pathway Plan Reviewing Officer - Post 18

As a Care Experienced young person, we feel it is really important that someone independent of your Personal Adviser reviews your support. So, your situation will be reviewed at least every 6 months by a Pathway Plan Reviewing Officer. This enables you to give your views on the support you get and to let us know how you would like this support to continue in the future. You will always be invited to your reviews, and you can chair them if you like, but even if you opt out, the Reviewing Officer will still continue to check on the support for you and you will be sent a copy of what was discussed in the meeting.

If you're a qualifying young person and you have a Personal Adviser, then you'll have a Plan, but not a Pathway Plan, and your plan will be reviewed with you by your Personal Adviser rather than an Independent Pathway Plan Reviewing Officer.

A Pathway Plan Reviewing Officer is:

• someone independent who can advocate for you and who can gather and pass on your wishes and feelings
• someone who knows about a Care Experienced person's rights and entitlements
• someone who can make sure you have a good plan of support and who can challenge any gaps in support or any delay that may have happened

Your Pathway Plan Reviewing Officer can be contacted by telephone: 07384795224 and email: Review.anddevelopment@stockton.gov.uk.