There are currently 1,115 care leavers registered with our Families and Communities team for which Staffordshire County Council acts as corporate parent. This figure changes year on year depending on the number of children / young people joining and leaving care. A care leaver is categorised as 16-25 years old. The duty as corporate parent is not just for social workers. There is a national focus on the roles and responsibilities of corporate parents and corporate parenting panels, with a key aim to broaden the membership to include local businesses. Nationally and regionally, Local Authorities are starting discussions with businesses on how they can support corporate parenting.
Eligibility
Aim of the fund
To provide a bursary fund for care leavers to access to cover those costs (not accessible via other means) which would translate into an economic benefit and ultimately support their transition into employment
Who Are We Able to Support
- Care Leavers from Staffordshire (not including Stoke on Trent)
- Care Leavers aged between 16 and 25
- Must be supported by a PA or Social Worker
Eligible Costs
This aims to support Care Leavers in Staffordshire who may need some financial support. You must prove economic benefit and cannot duplicate existing support provision
This could include:
- Top up benefits
- Topping up university fees
- Training courses
- Driving lessons
- To purchase additional resources for training or employment
- To assist with the costs of setting up a business costs
This list is not exhaustive and will be updated with more once we have engaged with care leavers etc
Grants available
The panel will consider how to much to award on a case by case basis
Please note that grants will be paid direct to the provider or will be paid in vouchers
Application Process
The Application Process
All applications will need to be submitted with support from a PA or Support Worker. A letter of support will need to be submitted with the application in order to be considered.
Once the application is received and eligibility checked, the application will be considered at a panel within Staffordshire County Council.
Monitoring
Successful applications will be asked to provide a short impact statement. This will need to detail how the support has helped the individual, which will then be used as a case study.
An evaluation will take place after 12 months to ensure that the funds are being allocated and utilised correctly and in accordance with the terms and criteria of the fund. The bursary fund delivery team will work with the delivery partner to develop the measures for reporting. Staffordshire County Council audit will be incorporated into the process from the outset.
Supporting Documents
- A letter of support from a PA or Support worker
Submission Dates
Open round – If funding is available, your application it will be presented at the next quarterly meeting with Staffordshire County Council
How to Apply
To apply, please use the link below
If you should have any difficulties completing the form, do not hesitate to contact us via programmes@staffordshire.foundation or telephone on 01785 339540.