In-care and leaving care
Being in-care
If it hasn’t been possible for you to be looked after by your parents, you may have spent some of your life so far in care, either in a children’s home or with foster carers.
When you are in care the Children's Rights Service can make sure you are treated fairly and give you information and advice. They will help you to:
- get your views heard,
- complain if you think you have been treated unfairly,
- find out more about being in care and the services you can access.
They can also attend meetings with you and help you get legal advice.
You can find out more about the Children's Rights Service including how to contact them on the Leicester City Council website if you live in Leicester. Or on Leicestershire County Council website if you live Leicestershire.
Activities for young people in care
Leicester City Council Youth Service runs activities for young people in care who live in Leicester.
If you would like to take part in any of the activities please contact:
Robin Winterton
telephone: 0116 256 8227 or 07870559357
email: robin.winterton@leicester.gov.uk
| Venue | Activity | Day | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| To be confirmed. Call 07870559357 for more info on this course. |
Maintaining and Decorating project. Learn basic DIY, including plumbing, carpentry, painting and decorating |
To be confirmed | To be confirmed |
| Connexions, Charles Street, Leicester |
Young people's choice group. Group for care leavers to meet up and discuss issues of leaving care and take part in trips and activities. | Wednesday | 6.00pm to 7.30pm |
| St. Margarets pastures, Leicester |
Get fit for football For looked after children aged 13 year old and over |
Tuesday | 6.00pm to 7.30pm |
| 124 Wigston Lane, Leicester To join the next course ask your 16+ worker or call: 07870559357 |
Managing your own home. Life skills project. Learn about cooking, cleaning, budgeting and a healthy lifestyle |
Tuesday |
5.00pm to 8.30pm |
| To be confirmed Call 07870559357 for more info on this course. |
What makes a good social worker? Help make a DVD that will be used to train social workers. |
Various | Various |
| Grey Friars | Sexual Health project Free condom and pregnancy testing. This is a confidential service. |
Thursday | 2.00pm to 4.00pm |
Care Leaver Mentoring Project
Job Number: 4062100Location: Leicester
Details:
If you are leaving care or have recently left care, you can access your own personal mentor through the Care Leaver Mentoring Project. You can receive emotional and practical support to assist you in getting into education, work or training, build your confidence and help you to be independent. All mentors are volunteers and are not just there because they are paid.
You can arrange regular sessions with your mentor, at a venue to suit you for as long as you need to address your issues. The mentor is there to help you achieve the things that you want without telling you what to do. Through these sessions you can be put in touch with other services that can support your need.
"Its good to have someone who is there for me. I look forward to the sessions focusing on projects and things and we have a laugh"
"It's good to have someone who helps you plan for your future"
"A mentor helps you find out things that you wouldn't bother finding out for yourself"
Contacts
Leicestershire
County Council: Services for looked after children
Includes info on the Children's Rights Service, Education, Social Work, Corporate Parenting, Time 2 Change, and the 16+ Service.
Leicester
City Council: Fostering, Adoption and looked after children
Services for young people in care living in Leicester.
Website offering help, advice, and information to young people in care
Find out about your rights in care and get your voice heard.
National organisation that helps young people in care by speaking up for them about the things that they want changed.
A national organisation run for and by young people in care.
Unaccompanied asylum seekers
An asylum seeker is someone who leaves their own country for their own safety, often for political reasons or because of war, and who travels to another country hoping the government will protect them and allow them to live there. Unaccompanied asylum seekers (under 18s who arrive in the country without a parent or carer) will usually be looked after by social services.
They will have the same rights as other young people in care and access to the Children's Rights Service.
Unaccompannied asylum seekers are not usually allowed to work. However you are allowed to undertake voluntary work. This can help to you improve your employment prospects and make a contribution to your local community. You can find out more about voluntary work on our volunteering page.
Contacts
Refugee Action
National charity that works with refugees to help them
build new lives in the UK.
National organisation offering help and support to asylum seekers and refugees.
The
Immigration Advisory Service (IAS)
National charity providing representation and
advice in immigration and asylum law.
Home
Office- Borders and Immigration Agency
Information on applications for permission to stay, citizenship and asylum.
Refugee & Asylum
Seekers Advice Project (RASAP)
Local project offering support, information and
advice for refugees settling in the city. Project workers can help
with a wide range of issues including housing, benefits, employment
and training.
Last Updated: 28-May-2009
