Official Support

Sorted and Supported is your guide to your rights as somebody who is leaving care. In the guide Coram Voice explain what your rights and entitlements are. Sorted and Supported will also explain what you can do if you don’t feel you are being properly supported. 

View the guide here: https://coramvoice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/1870-CV-SortedSupported-Guide-new2.pdf

The Alliance for Care Experienced People in Higher Education is a project currently being developed by care experienced people for care experienced people in Higher Education.

Web: https://allianceofcareexperiencedpeopleinhighereducation.home.blog/ 

• Are you in care, leaving care or need help from Children's Services?

• Would you like to know about your rights?

• Not getting the support you need from your social worker?

• Or do you just want some help or to be listened to?

• Our Always Heard advocates are here to help. So just get in touch.

Contact Always Heard:

• Freephone: 0808 800 5792 

• WhatsApp or text: 07758 670369 

• Email: help@coramvoice.org.uk

Opening times Monday to Friday 9.30am–6pm & Saturday 10am–4pm.

In care or a care leaver? Looking for help and advice? Talk to Become in confidence – online or over the phone on their dedicated helpline for young people. They really know their stuff about the care system and what everyone’s rights and entitlements are!

You can also call them on 0800 023 2033 between 10am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, or email at advice@becomecharity.org.uk

Website: https://www.becomecharity.org.uk/for-young-people/

Coram Voice are an advocacy and support service for Care Leavers. You can contact them if you are in care, leaving care or need help from Children’s Services. They can help you with things such as knowing about your rights and if you are not getting the support you need from your social worker. Also if you just want some help, or to be listened to.

Their helpline is staffed by advocates and you can contact them by phone, text, WhatsApp (over 16s) and email. 

• Webpage: https://coramvoice.org.uk/get-help/alwaysheard/

• Telephone (Freephone): 0808 800 5792 

• WhatsApp: +44 (0)7758 670369 

• Text: 07758 670369 

• Email: help@coramvoice.org.uk

• Instagram: @coramvoice

NNECL is the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers - but it also support Estranged Students.

They work to transform the progression of young people in or leaving care into and through further and higher education.

Website: http://www.nnecl.org/ 

Propel is a website created by Become for care leavers providing information on the support available to you at colleges and universities across the UK. Find out:

• whether 365 day accommodation is available

• what bursaries and grants are on offer

• the help and support care leavers can expect

• the contact details of specific contacts to get in touch with at each institution

Propel also has loads of other useful info, like an overview of student funding, specific advice for care leavers and inspirational stories from care-experienced students about how it was for them. 

Website: https://becomecharity.org.uk/get-support/propel/ 

Offers help and advice to care experienced individuals about any concern and are always here to listen. They run a number of projects that hopefully can make a real difference to care experienced people of any age and want to celebrate any and all personal and professional achievements of those who have experienced being in care no matter how big or small. 

Website: https://www.reesfoundation.org/ 

Helps young people to bridge the gap between leaving care and finding their own way in the world, providing a broad range of support and mentoring.

The support on offer to young people taking part in the scheme includes access to a dedicated Side by Side volunteer to support them for a minimum of 12 months; up to 10 hours of advocacy support, if required, from a NYAS qualified and independent advocate; access to the NYAS freephone helpline in the evenings and weekends for support and/or signposting and access to a skills and interests bursary up to the value of £500.

Each young person will also be offered the chance to undergo NYAS mentoring training, enabling them to become ‘peer mentors’ for other young people joining the programme.

Website: https://www.nyas.net/services/side-by-side-care-leaver-programme/

Moving out? Leaving school? Starting a job? We can help with that and more relating to transitioning out of care. You can find advice by browsing the different themes or by typing some key words into the search bar.

View the guide here: The Real Toolkit - A leaving care resource by Staf 

Is a volunteer led charity based in Swansea, which aims to support young people in care, care leavers, children in need and adults who have left care with the transition period of independent living.  We aim to offer a bespoke and holistic service to our clients, ensuring that we encourage and empower individuals to positively participate within society and gain new skills, experiences and abilities as a result of our involvement.

Website: http://www.therootsfoundationwales.org.uk/

This fantastic guide has been written by Eira Wallace - someone who has been through the process of being an Estranged Student and who wanted to make the process easier for anyone following a similar path. 

Website: https://www.standalone.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Guide-for-estranged-students-Final-Sept-20.pdf 

Stand Alone have now closed.

Having somewhere of your own to call home matters. With the Unite Foundation scholarship, you’ll have accommodation and bills covered for up to 3 years of study. That includes all through the holidays too, so you don’t have to wonder where to go during reading weeks or over Christmas or summer. You can even stay the summer after you graduate to plan your next move. Con: Limited universities. 

Website: Unite Foundation Scholarship = Unite Foundation