Staying connected after leaving care
Reaching the age of 18 should be a celebration, a rite of passage as you transition to adulthood whilst still needing the safety net of your family – think back to when you were that age.
For care leavers this time can be anything but a celebration. Turning 18 changes their status meaning they leave the care system and usually have to move on from wherever they were living. Break wanted to give care experienced young people the best opportunities as they enter adulthood and set up a dedicated team to provide life long support to young people leaving Break’s care.
Staying Close, Staying Connected
When the opportunity came to grow this offer to all young people leaving residential care at 18, Break jumped at the opportunity and in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council, Norfolk County Council and Peterborough City Council, funded by the DfE Innovation Fund, we have been delivering a pioneering support service for care leavers, Staying Close, Staying Connected.
The project was designed with young people to support a care leaver as they move into adulthood in all aspects of their lives. Break work alongside care leavers, providing good quality shared housing across the region.
We help create confidence through our relationships with young people and by providing a menu of support including life skills, mentors, participation activities, tenancy support and work experience opportunities.
A brighter tomorrow
Together we are seeing the young people change and grow as they manage their own tenancies, build new friendships, grow in confidence, develop pathways towards education and employment and grow their social networks. They really are taking steps towards brighter tomorrows.
Overall the results are fantastic. These young people are now geared up to make an important contribution to society.
When you support Break, you support these care leavers. Your money helps provide a lifelong offer to these young people. Ensuring we’re there for them when they need us when they hit a bump in the road or want to share their successes. It also helps provide valuable services like Mentoring and emotional wellbeing support.
“They've changed me as a person for the better. All young people who have been through the care system deserve this.”
Pathways to employment
Care experienced young people between the ages of 16 and 20 are four times more likely to be unemployed than their peers.
We know how important it is to expand the horizons of our young people and support them to achieve their potential to challenge this statistic.
What is a transition worker?
Transition Workers support young people who are in the process of moving on from care.
Senior Transition Worker Gemma Brunelli shares her experience of supporting young care leavers.
