The City of Wolverhampton Council will shortly be formally launching its Local Offer for care leavers aged between 16 and 25, which provides information about a wide range of services which could help them prepare for adult life.
The Local Offer was developed in partnership with care leavers and includes details of support which they are entitled to by law, as well as additional services that the council has been able to secure with the help of partner organisations.
It features practical, one to one support, online counselling to support care leavers' health and wellbeing, weekly support groups focusing on relationship building and services to help young people into education, employment and training including mentoring from work coaches and guaranteed interviews for apprenticeships.
Care leavers can also enjoy a wide range of benefits including free haircuts and free membership to the City of Wolverhampton Council's WV Active leisure centres, while those aged 19 or under also qualify for free membership to The Way Youth Zone. In addition, care leavers qualify for Council Tax exemption until they are 25.
Councillor Paul Sweet, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: "Through our Corporate Parenting Strategy we are committed to improving outcomes for children and young people in care and giving them the best possible chance in life.
"It's important that we are able to make the transition from childhood to adulthood as smooth and easy as possible, and we have worked closely with partner agencies to maximise the support which is available to care leavers through our new Local Offer.
"There are plenty of ways in which the council and other organisations can help care leavers with their health and wellbeing, education, training and employment, relationship building, and managing money and accommodation and, as we mark National Care Leavers Week, I would encourage them to speak to their Young Person's Advisor to find out more."
The Local Offer - also available on the Wolverhampton Information Network at Type=links;Linkid=11169;Title=Care Leavers Offer;Target=_blank; - will formally be launched at a special event hosted by the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Phil Page, on Tuesday (30 October).
National Care Leavers Week seeks to highlight the needs of care leavers and encourage the agencies responsible for looking after them to work in a co-ordinated and effective way. For more information, please visit Type=links;Linkid=11181;Title=The Care Leavers' Foundation;Target=_blank;.
- released: Wednesday 24 October, 2018