Choose Employability
Care Leavers
Led By: Sarra Gravestock – Director and Head of Children & Social Services, Biscoes
In partnership with:
Care leavers face a range of challenges following their departure from care. These challenges include Education, Mental health, Unemployment, Crime and Homelessness. For young people leaving care, finding and keeping a job can be challenging. The report from the Prince’s Trust in 2017 found that 78% of care leavers surveyed were not in any form of education, employment, training of volunteering. In 2020, only 26% of care leavers aged 19-21 in England were in training or employment.
For some young people, employment can leave them financially worse off than being on benefits, a factor that fails to incentivise care leavers to get into work. Having to manage their own finances independently can be difficult, especially as most of their finances will have been managed for them throughout their care.
We want to offer support and guidance for these young people ensuring they feel that they have a voice and access to the information and guidance they need to prepare them for work and or education.
Alongside Portsmouth City Council we have created a piece of work that wraps around the young person and creates a space where they can learn life skills as well as job skills, they require to access and maintain employment.
This includes the Care Leaver Employability academy which offers workshops and instructions from professionals, providing useful insights into the world of work, equipping young people with all they need to feel confident to enter employment.
Want to know more about this programme? Contact us.