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<p>Young people who have been ‘looked after’ are entitled to continuing support from
their local authority (LA) when they leave care. The LA must appoint a Personal Advisor
to help care leavers plan for their futures, access the support they need from mainstream
services and provide practical and emotional support. Personal Advisor support is
now available for all care leavers to age 25 (support previously ended at age 21 for
most care leavers).</p><p>LAs also have a duty to consult on and publish their ‘local
offers’ for care leavers. This sets out care leavers’ legal entitlements, as well
as any further discretionary support that the LA provides. They also have a duty to
provide a £2,000 bursary to care leavers who attend university. LAs are required to
provide financial support to help care leavers engage in education; employment and
training; and a leaving care grant (£2,000) to help the young person furnish their
first home.</p><p>Since 2014, LAs have been under a duty to provide financial support
to enable young people in foster care to remain living with their former foster family
to age 21 in a Staying Put arrangement. The department has announced funding of over
£33 million in 2020-21 to support implementation, an increase of approximately £10
million (40%) on 2019-20. A National Care Leaving Advisor was appointed in 2018 to
support LAs to improve their leaving care services.</p><p>In October 2019, we announced
the establishment of a cross-government ministerial board to drive better outcomes
for care leavers and we have an on-going programme of work with other departments
to identify changes to their policies that will impact positively on care leavers’
lives.</p>
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