What the care leaver covenant is
The Care Leaver Covenant is a national inclusion programme that supports care leavers aged 16-25 to live independently. They will work with us to create meaningful opportunities for care leavers in five key areas and support care leavers to access those opportunities.
Departments, organisations, businesses and individuals can commit to offer a support package to care experienced young people that is tailored to their own specific expertise, underpinning their commitment to the Covenant with a specific ‘offer’, or ‘pledge’ setting out what it can provide. In return the Care Leaver Covenant organisation will use their expertise to support organisations or individuals with advice and guidance on how to best support care experienced individuals in their workplace or as part of the pledge that they have made.
What you need to know if you are a care experienced young person
The Care Leaver Covenant is about more than just employment – although that is one thing that they can help with! They have created over 2000 opportunities covering employment, training, support, free tickets, discounts, giveaways and help with DIY! Some of these will be local and some will be national – you can search the opportunities on the website.
If you are a care experienced young person aged 16 – 25, all you need to do is register with “Connects” – it is free and really easy to use. Your Personal Advisor can also join up so that you can use this together.
Accessing Connects is really simple and takes just a few minutes. Sign up for connects.
Once you have completed the short form you will can receive bespoke and meaningful opportunities and offers based on your situation and preferences.
What you need to know if you support a care experienced young person
If you are working with a care experienced young person aged 16 – 25, you can register with “Connects” so that in turn you can support your care experienced young people to sign up. Accessing Connects is really simple and takes just a few minutes. Both care experienced young people and yourselves can sign up, sign up for connects.
Once you have completed the short form you will can receive bespoke and meaningful opportunities and offers based on their situation and preferences.
If you want to know more, please read and share the brochure:
You can also visit the Care Leaver Covenant website.
How you can help support care experienced young people
You or people you know can join others in playing a vital role by pledging what you can to support Care Experienced Young People, knowing you will be supported step-by-step by the Care Leaver Covenant and our Care Experienced Young People Team. If you are a bit worried about how to best support a care experienced young person in your workplace, the highly experienced and skilled team will offer you support.
Examples of the pledges might include:
- Providing a care experienced young person with work experience, work shadowing, internships, traineeships and apprenticeships
- Providing a care experienced young person with additional support such as one-to-one mentoring
- Providing a care experienced young person with discounted or free access to activities to broaden their horizons
- Providing or supporting them in educational and training opportunities that will improve their vocational and educational profile and open up future employment opportunities
If you want to know more, please read and share the brochure:
You can also visit the Care Leaver Covenant website.