Support for Care Leavers
It is a privilege to support our Care Leavers. Even though they may have turned 18, the Redcar and Cleveland Virtual School are still here to provide any advocacy and advice they may need around their next steps in education, training or employment.
We work closely with social workers, the Care Leavers Team at the council, Personal Advisors, and local further education settings such as colleges, sixth forms and training providers.
Our goal is for every Care Leaver to reach their full potential. We will be able to support them, advocate for them, or signpost them to the best person who can.
You can contact us directly by emailing the Post 16 Advisor for the Virtual School at nyla.imaan@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk
The support we offer
If you are 18 or under, the Virtual School will support you by:
- Keeping track of your learning journey and making sure you get support quickly if things go wrong or plans change
- Providing advice, advocacy and signposting around education, training and employment
- Support with equipment to aid your education/ training (applications processed by the Children’s Trust Fund – social worker referral)
- Helping you with starting university, including applications, the UCAS process and connecting you with the Care Experienced Team at your chosen university
- Rewarding your academic school/ college exam achievements in the summer term.
If you are aged 18-25, the Virtual school will support you by:
- Providing advice, advocacy and signposting around education, training and employment
- Support to obtain copy GCSE certificates where necessary
- Helping you if you are considering university including applications and the UCAS process, connecting you with the Care Experienced Team at your chosen university. PLEASE NOTE – you need to start a course before you turn 21 to get the full financial package available to care leavers. Please speak to your PA for details.
- Rewarding your college/ university exam achievements.
Who will support you to find education, training or employment?
If you are aged 18 or under and need help with education, training or employment – you will be supported by a worker from your Virtual school Inclusion Officer rachel.oliphant@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk (Y12 16-17 year olds) nyla.imaan@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk (Y13 17-18 year olds)
If you are aged 18 and above, and not in education, training or employment – you will be supported by sarah.lax@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk Education, Employment and Training Development Officer and nyla.imaan@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk from Virtual School, care leavers link.
Both services will help you with:
- Career guidance and advice
- Re-engaging in education or training
- Building your confidence and self-esteem through short programmes such as the Prince’s Trust or Youth Fed
- Looking for work-based learning such as apprenticeships, traineeships or supported internships
- Finding a work placement or tasters in different industries
- Creating CVs, interview preparation and job searching
- Achieving your English and maths Level 2 qualifications
- Completing short courses.
Our Promises to Care Leavers
- If you apply for a Redcar and Cleveland Council job or apprenticeship vacancy, as a care leaver you will be guaranteed an interview! You will need to disclose your care leaver status at the application stage to access this.
- As a council, we treat being a Care Leaver as a protected characteristic, meaning that you cannot be discriminated against on the grounds of having been in care.
- Even if you have left care for some time and not been in contact with us, you can come back at any time up to the age of 25 to get support.