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The aim of this Protocol is to ensure that both the fostering service and the leaving care service work together to meet the needs of young people preparing to leave care. The principles of the Protocol are based on the premise that foster carers will often have a long standing knowledge of, and relationship with the young person, and that the leaving care social worker / Personal Adviser can provide specialist advice and support regarding moving to independent living.

It is vital that young people are central to all plans for assisting them to develop independent living skills and make the transition to independence. The transfer to the Leaving Care Team (see Contact Details Appendix) will often represent a very difficult and stressful transition for both young people and their foster carer/s and as such must be undertaken with diplomacy and sensitivity.

The Leaving Care Assessment of Need, which is coordinated and compiled by the Looked After child's social worker and should include the views of all the people who contribute to the care of the young person, marks the point in time when formal planning for independent living begins. The assessment places particular emphasis on the views and opinions of the young person, their foster carer/s and their family.

1. As part of the Leaving Care Assessment of Need the out-going Looked After child’s social worker should organise an introductory meeting at a venue that suits the young person and the foster carer/s (preferably the foster home).
2. This meeting should include the young person, foster carer/s, out-going social worker, leaving care social worker / Personal Adviser, supervising social worker and, where appropriate, members of the young person’s family.
3. The purpose of this meeting is to provide a neutral setting where the leaving care social worker / Personal Adviser can explain the purpose of the leaving care service and be introduced to the young person and foster carer together.
4. The leaving care social worker / Personal Adviser should explain the purpose of the leaving care service, the Pathway Plan and the timescale for case transfer to the Leaving Care Team.
5. At this introductory meeting the leaving care social worker / Personal Adviser should arrange to meet with the young person, foster carer/s, supervising social worker and out-going social worker on an individual basis and subsequently, on a joint basis.
6. A professionals meeting which includes the foster carer/s, out-going social worker, leaving care social worker / Personal Adviser and supervising social worker should also take place to consider placement issues and factors that need to be taken into account should the placement extend beyond the young person’s 18th birthday.
7. In completing the Leaving Care Assessment of Need and Pathway Plan, importance must be placed on the foster carer/s’ knowledge of the young person’s abilities, skills, strengths and needs.
8. When converting the Leaving Care Assessment of Need into the Pathway Plan and developing a programme of life skills training, attention must be paid to the roles and responsibilities that the foster carer/s and leaving care social worker / Personal Adviser will have.
9. The Pathway Plan should recognise and acknowledge the on-going role that the foster carer/s will have in helping young people to develop confidence, life skills and budgeting skills that form the foundations of future preparation for independence work.
10. Where it is appropriate to undertake sessions/life skills work involving the leaving care social worker / Personal Adviser and the young person in the foster home, an agreement must be made with the foster carer/s as to the general content/extent of the work and its timing.
11. Leaving care social workers/Personal Advisers should inform the foster carer/s regarding the timing of sessions with young people, particularly where young people are being collected and/or returned to the foster home.
12. Foster carers should always be informed of sessions that are planned between the leaving care social workers/Personal Advisers and the young person.
13. Leaving care social workers / Personal Advisers, foster carers and young people should meet on a regular basis to review joint working arrangements and update the young person’s Pathway Plan.
14. It is vital that issues of confidentiality, information sharing and roles and responsibilities are explored between the leaving care social worker / Personal Adviser, foster carer/s and young person. Whilst the detail of joint sessions involving the leaving care social worker / Personal Adviser and young person does not necessarily need to be shared with the foster carer/s the overall aims of sessions should be shared. The aim of this is to ensure that there is clear communication between all parties in order to provide a coordinated service to the young person.
15. When the case is transferred to the Leaving Care Team a meeting to explore financial arrangements should take place to include the young person, foster carers, supervising social worker and leaving care social worker / Personal Adviser.
16. This meeting should explore the detail of how, and the principles by which the foster carer/s will provide pocket money, clothing allowances and any other financial payments to the young person.
17. From the end of school year 11 (approximately aged 16 and a half) pocket money and other financial allowances should be managed within a framework that promotes the development of budgeting and financial management skills.
18. When it is assessed that a young person is ready to leave foster care and move to independence, a meeting should take place to explore what items the young person will require for their new accommodation. The meeting should set out who will assist the young person to choose and purchase items and the arrangements for accessing their ‘Setting Up Home Allowance’.
19. Following a young person moving to independence, a meeting should take place which includes the leaving care social workers / Personal Advisers, foster carer/s and young person to evaluate the placement and to explore what support the foster carer/s may be able to provide in the future.

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