Post-16 resources for children in care

We will help in any way we can to support our Norfolk children in care and care leavers who have moved on from statutory school age with their next steps in education, employment or training. Whether that is supporting at their PEP meeting, advising on education, employment and training pathways or offering support to young people such as CV writing, job searches or mentoring.

Please get in touch at virtual.schools@norfolk.gov.uk.

Our 'Moving on at 16 Workshop' video is available at vimeo.com/535845688/82c5d00d20.

The Care Leavers Local Offer

The Care Leavers Local Offer is a useful website for care leavers age 18-25, with information on all the support available in Norfolk for care leavers. There are also some useful websites for professionals working with these young people.

Useful websites

icanbea... (Careers and Ideas in Norfolk and Suffolk) is a social media styled careers website designed to help young people choose their future career from a massive range of opportunities across Norfolk and Suffolk
Propel is brought to you by 'Become', the charity for children in care and young care leavers. Propel will provide you with information on care leaver support fir every university and college across the UK
Become - the charity for children in care and young care leavers (becomecharity.org.uk) provides support and advice so that you people who spend time in care can unleash their potential and take control of their lives
Successful Apprenticeship and Job Hunting | helpyouchoose.org, an advice section on Help You Choose, offers advice and support around CV building, application forms etc. for young people
The icould website has real stories to inspire your career, career videos, job information and ideas for your future. It includes the Buzz quiz - icould - in under five minutes, discover your strengths and what makes you tic,; what you're like as a boyfriend or girlfriend, and which celebrities share your personality type. There are 16 possible results, each connected to an animal. Which animal are you?
Success at School: Careers advice for schools and students is the place for young people to explore careers, get the lowdown on top employers, and search for the latest jobs, courses and advice
Careers Advice Article For Parents | Success At School provides a range of resources including information for parents / carers
Careers advice - job profiles, information and resources | National Careers Service provides information, advice and guidance to people who live in England, to help them make decisions on learning, training and work
Discover your skills and careers includes a skills assessment webpage where people can learn more about their skills and match them to potential new careers
Start Profile is a free, online careers platform, designed to connect 11-18 year olds with their future career potential and covers the 'World of Work', 'What to Study', 'Where to Learn', and 'Employability'
Amazing Apprenticeships is a leading organisation in the education sector, founded to tackle misconceptions about apprenticeships and promote the benefits. As experts on apprenticeships and vocational education, they can influence the way that apprenticeships are perceived and drive forward innovative and creative work in England and internationally, to ensure that more individuals and businesses can access the benefits of apprenticeships.
UEA - Resource Centre has resources for students, guardians, and professionals to access from home or school to explore infographics, videos, blogs and more for students of all ages and those supporting them
Prospects.ac.uk are the experts in graduate careers: they help to guide students and graduates to a bright future with unrivalled information, advice and opportunities
Apprenticeship resource for schools, teachers, parents (amazingapprenticeships.com) provides various Parent Packs, including Parent-Pack-August-2020-1.pdf (amazingapprenticeships.com), and other resources
Guides | The Parents' Guide to (theparentsguideto.co.uk) has a number of interactive online parent guides covering different age groups and options

Social Care Support for Care Leavers

Staying put (England only): Local authorities have a duty to provide 'staying put' arrangements for care leavers to continue to live with foster carers until the age of 21.
Pathway plan: To support the transition into adulthood, young people in care are supported by a social worker and/or personal advisor (PA) to plan for their future and access appropriate provision through a pathway plan, this includes access to education, employment and training.
Access to educational support to 25: The Children and Social Work Act 2017 means that young people who have been care leavers are able to request support to return to learning from the LA up until their 25th birthday, even when their case has officially closed at 21. The Children and Social Work Act 2017 will also mean that all care leavers aged 21+ can remain open to workers until 25 even if they are not in education. The NCC Care Leavers Offer can be accessed via NCC website - search for care leavers).

Further Education: Working Arrangements

We work closely with the designated teachers in our Post 16 settings. Meetings take place regularly with our FE Colleges. Copies of the working arrangement documents outlining the support FE Colleges offer our Norfolk care experienced young people receive can be found in the documents section at the bottom of this page.

Higher Education: University of East Anglia

UEA is keen to hear from prospective and incoming students who are leaving care or starting university without family support. There is a variety of support available at UEA. Colleagues and students are encouraged to contact the care experienced and estranged team - which includes representatives from Student Services, the Students' Union, and UEA Outreach at cees@uea.ac.uk.

UEA is also developing a new web page with dedicated information for the care experienced and estranged student community at www.uea.su/communities/careleaversandestrangedstudents/.

Details of the UEA £2500 Care Leaver bursary is found at their University Bursary Scheme Information and Support web page.

Plus a huge range of Higher Education resources for students and staff can be found at www.everwondered.uea.ac.uk.

They will be adding to this over the year, including an FAQs section; comments and suggestions are welcomed to cees@uea.ac.uk.

Finance Information

16-19 Bursary: Looked after children attending Post 16 education may be entitled to 16-19 bursary worth up to £1200 which they claim through the learning provider. Please refer to the 16 to 19 Bursary Guidance Document which can be found in the documents section at the bottom of this page.
Apprenticeship Top Up Bursary: Local arrangement which means that NCC can support looked after children and care leavers financially if they undertake an apprenticeship. Their SW or PA would organize this for them.
Apprenticeship Bursary for Care Leavers: Eligible, Relevant and Former Relevant Care leavers are entitled to a £3000 bursary after the first 60 days of an apprenticeship. This will be paid in instalments throughout the first year of their apprenticeship. Payment is arranged via the young person's training provider and paid direct to the young person. They may also be entitled to a salary top up from Norfolk County Council. Please speak to your Social Worker or Personal Adviser for further information.
University and Higher Education funding: Care leavers are entitled to the HE bursary of £2000 over the duration of the course from their local authority. Many universities will offer a non-repayable bursary specifically to students who are care leavers or they may offer a reduction in fees. NCC also offer support with accommodation costs.

Wellbeing Support for Care Leavers

Need some help? Ask Jan!

Ask Jan Membership has been developed to assist care experienced people of all ages, to access comprehensive, practical advice and support and additional benefits. At Rees, we believe "care shouldn't stop at 18,21 or 25 - someone has to be there to care and to help".

Ask Jan Membership (Rees foundation) costs £60 and includes ALL of the following services:

A 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
Personal finance advice - mortgages, pensions, insurance, debt, and savings
Nutrition, exercise, stress and wellbeing advice
Specialist advice helplines including housing, legal and citizens advice 8am to 8pm
Access to an enhanced wellbeing App My Possible Self
Cognitive behavioural therapy - available online or via the App
Discounts and special offers on days out and activities with The Max Card
Access to all other Rees Foundation projects

They will send members an e-birthday card each year of their membership!

Listening Works

Phone, text and web chat support for care leavers aged 18-27, every evening 6-12.

Fancy a chat? We're listening! Open ears. Open minds. Open late.

If you're a care leaver aged 18-27, we're here for you. All evening. Every evening. So, whether you've got something on your mind or you just fancy a friendly chat, we'd love to hear from you. You can call us, text us or start a web chat - whatever kind of listening works for you.

Our clued up on care experience volunteers can offer you:

Someone to talk to - a listening ear, a friendly voice
A chance to talk openly about whatever's on your mind
Time and space to think things through without pressure
Signposting to useful resources if any specific problems come up
Information about other support out there and how to get it

How to contact Listening Works

One of their clued up on care experience volunteers is looking forward to answering your call, text or web chat between 6pm and 12 midnight, every day. If you call during these hours and the line is busy, that's only because all their volunteers are already talking to someone, so just leave them a message and they'll get back to you "in a flash".

Telephone: 0808 802 0222

Text message: 07860 065 169

Opening times: 6pm - midnight* - 7 days a week

* You can actually call any time and leave a message on voicemail, asking for a call back when they're open again.

Befriending and Mentoring

Someone who's there just for you

Through our befriending and mentoring services, you can benefit from short-term or longer-term personal support and advice in all areas of your life and work. Our clued up on care experience volunteers can help you with your emotional and physical health, get you work-ready or even offer friendly suggestions about managing your time.

How Befriending Works

You'll be matched with a dedicated volunteer for consistent befriending or sustained emotional support. That means you'll have the same person to talk to regularly, at a set time, for around 6 to 8 weeks. Some of our befrienders are care experienced adults themselves.

How Mentoring Works

Mentoring offers you longer-term, independent support from one of our clued up on care experience Volunteer Mentors. Your mentor will draw on his or her own knowledge and experience to help and encourage you through your next steps as you work towards the goals you set.

Want a mentor or befriender?

Get in touch:

Telephone: 0808 802 0222
Text message: 07860 065 169
Website: www.family-action.org.uk/listening-works

The Mix - Counselling Service

'About Us' - Welcome to The Mix

Life's tough, we know that. It can throw a lot your way and make it hard to know what the hell to do with it all.

So, welcome to The Mix. Whether you're 13, 25, or any age in between, we're here to take on the embarrassing problems, weird questions, and please-don't-make-me-say-it-out-loud thoughts you have. We give you the information and support you need to deal with it all. Because you can. Because you're awesome.

We'll connect you to experts and your peers who'll give you the support and tools you need to take on any challenge you're facing - for everything from homelessness to finding a job, from money to mental health, from break-ups to drugs.

We're a free and confidential multi-channel service. That means that you choose how you access our support, without the worry of anyone else finding out. Whether it be through our articles and video content online or our phone, email, peer to peer and counselling services - we put the control in your hands. You can even volunteer with us too.

We want to be the first-place young people turn to get support. Sometimes what you're told at school or at home just doesn't cut it. We're here whenever you need us, wherever you are. We can ensure you have all the best information to make the right choices for yourself.

Life is hard, but support doesn't have to be. We've got this.

Visit www.themix.org.uk/about-us for more information.

Getting started

The Mix offers up to eight sessions of free, over-the-phone or online counselling to any young person living in the UK who is aged 25 and under. The sign-up process is quick and simple. All you need to do is fill in a form telling us a bit about yourself and what kind of support you need. Once you've filled it out, you'll get an email confirming your booking.

A few days before your session, your counsellor will get in touch to send you over the counselling contract and a small bio about themselves. If you don't get an email within the hour of booking, you can email counselling@themix.org.uk, just in case there was an error and we need to rebook.

You can sign up for free counselling with The Mix at www.themix.org.uk/get-support/speak-to-our-team/the-mix-counselling-service.

It's normal to feel nervous. If you're thinking about signing up for counselling, it's really normal to feel a bit anxious about it. After all, opening up is a big step and if you've never spoken to a counsellor before, the idea might seem weird and uncomfortable.

Of course, counselling can be challenging, but once you've got used to it, it won't seem so scary. Speaking to a counsellor can help you to work out lots of issues and give you the tools to understand yourself better.

How does counselling work?

Counselling is designed to help you speak about your thoughts and feelings and give you a safe space to work through any problems that you might be facing in your life.

Some counselling is face-to-face, but here at The Mix we offer counselling sessions over the phone or over web chat. You can choose whichever set up you feel most comfortable with. If you decide that you'd prefer to change from telephone to web chat or vice versa, this can be done. All our counsellors are trained to facilitate both types of counselling.

How long will counselling last?

Most counselling sessions take place once per week and last for 50 minutes. At The Mix, you can have up to eight sessions with your counsellor.

What will my first session be like?

Most counsellors will begin by introducing themselves, establishing some boundaries for the sessions and telling you a little bit about the way that they work. Then, they may ask you to talk about why you're there and what you'd like to work on with them.

At The Mix, we have something called CORE 10, which we use in the first session to measure how a young person has been feeling over the last week. It's 10 questions which will ask how you're feeling or managing, for example, "have you had difficulty sleeping over the last week?"

You don't have to know the answers straight away and it's ok if you're not sure yet - your counsellor will help you work that out.

You should feel free to ask your counsellor anything you want to know about how things will work in each session and what is expected of you.

What will I talk about with my counsellor?

Your counsellor isn't there to tell you what to talk about, but they will help you to work out what it is that you'd like to focus on. It doesn't matter if it takes a while to get there.

You might find that things about your childhood come up in conversation, or your relationships with friends and family. You might discuss your thoughts and emotions, your behaviour and things that you find difficult.

If you have a specific issue you want to talk about, like anxiety, bereavement or addiction; your counsellor can help you to deal with this.

Silence is ok too

Sometimes you won't be able to think of anything to say - that's ok and there's no need to feel awkward. Take your time and eventually the conversation will flow naturally again.

How should I make the most out of my sessions?

Counselling can be hard sometimes, because you're talking through issues you find difficult and this can bring up lots of emotions. Remember to be kind to yourself and know that it's ok if you struggle - the process takes time and it's normal to find it challenging.

Try writing down the things that come up during each section. It will help you to remember what you have learned and reflect on issues that have been brought up.

It's important to remember that not every session will feel as helpful as others, but that's ok. Your counsellor is trained to help you reach the goals that you set together and will guide you in the right direction.

For more information, visit The Mix web page on 'What to expect from counselling at The Mix'.