We want to make sure every young person leaving care has the support they need to achieve their goals and ambitions in life.
One of the ways we do this is by helping you to overcome challenges to accessing employment, education and training.
We know that the support each individual person might need will vary. So to ensure we get the right support for you, we have a specialist pathway coordinator who supports you and your social worker to help you to develop your future career plan.
We also work with a wide range of partners to make sure that you have access to the best possible opportunities.
We have developed a tailored work experience programme within the council and in local organisations, so that you can have a taster of different roles and build your skills.
All our care leavers are guaranteed an interview for any of our apprenticeship opportunities if they meet the essential criteria, and we provide tailored application and interview preparation.
If you are starting education or training, we can give you the following support.
College and training
16 to 19 Bursary Fund
If you go to a further education college and are aged 16 to 18, you can apply for the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund, which pays up to £1,200 a year to support vulnerable young people to participate in education.
Speak to your college to find out how to apply.
College fees
We will contribute towards the cost of your course, for example, registration or examination fees.
Employment, training and support grant
We will make sure you can access a one-off grant of up to £500 to access special tools, equipment and uniforms for training courses and apprenticeships.
Books, equipment and stationery
We will support you with up to £50 for each year you are in further education.
Travel expenses
We will support you with the cost of bus travel to your college.
Top-up payments
If you are not eligible for the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund, we will support you with a weekly top-up payment.
Apprenticeships and employment
Guaranteed interview for H&F apprenticeship roles
All of our care leavers are guaranteed an interview for any of our apprenticeship opportunities as long as they meet the essential criteria.
Apprenticeship bursary
If you are earning less than £195 per week on an apprenticeship programme, we will support you with a bursary of £2,000 paid in 12 monthly instalments.
Full-time work bridging grant
We will support you with weekly payments to match Universal Credit rated for the first 4 weeks of your employment while waiting for your first salary.
Employment, training, and support grant
We will make sure you can access a one-off grant of up to £500 to access special tools, equipment and uniforms for training courses and apprenticeships.
Interview and work clothes or uniforms
We will provide you with up to £100 each year towards work clothes and uniforms or interview clothes.
Travel expenses
We will support you with the cost of bus travel to your place of work in the first year.
Access to employment opportunities in the Civil Service, NHS, Police and Fire Service
We will make sure you know about and support you to access care leaver opportunities within these services
1-to-1 employment support
We will support you in accessing 1-to-1 employment support through H&F Works to help you find your first or next role.
Higher education
Higher Education Bursary
If you are starting or returning to a course in higher education (at university for example), before the age of 25, we will support you with a Higher Education Bursary.
If you are living independently, we will support you with a payment of £5,000 each year for up to 4 years to help with education-related resources, equipment and materials and towards your own sourced ‘all year round’ accommodation, including holiday accommodation, whilst at university.
This will be paid in 3 termly instalments throughout the year.
If you are staying with your foster carer or living in semi-independent accommodation, we will support you with a bursary of £2,000 divided equally across the 3 or 4-year course of study.