Am I a Care Leaver?

This can be complicated to check. There are a couple ways to work this out. This can then be checked by asking your Social Worker or Personal Adviser.

Care Leavers Quiz

Coram Voice have created a Care Leavers Quiz in which your answers will give you its best suggestion as to your Care Leaver status.

There are four Care Leaver status:

Eligible Care Leaver
Relevant Care Leaver
Former Relevant Care Leaver
Qualifying Care Leaver

This Care Leaver Local Offer website gives their title and is an offer for eligible relevant and former relevant care leavers. Only one section titled qualifying care leavers details the specifics for that group.

Legal definitions

Eligible Care Leaver

aged 16 or 17
looked after by Children’s Services for a period of 13 weeks since the age of 14 – with some of the 13 weeks being after your 16th birthday
currently looked after

Relevant Care Leaver

aged 16 or 17
looked after by Children’s Services for a period of 13 weeks since the age of 14
looked after for a period after your 16th birthday
no longer looked after

If you have returned home to your parent(s), or persons with parental responsibility, you will continue to receive support for a period of six months. If you turn 18 during this six-month period, you then receive support as a ‘Former Relevant’ young person. If the six-month period ends before you turn 18, you will then be considered for support as a ‘Qualifying Care Leaver’.

Former Relevant Care Leaver

aged between 18 and 25
previously eligible and/or relevant

If you become a Former Relevant Care Leaver on your 18th birthday, you will always have that care leaver status, even if you return home to live with your parents or anyone with parental responsibility.

Qualifying Care Leaver

you are at least 16 but under 25 – if in full-time education, otherwise under 21,

and:

you were looked after immediately prior to the making of a Special Guardianship Order which was in force when you reached 18; or
if at any time after you reach the age of 16, you are no longer looked after, accommodated, or fostered; or
you were privately fostered and assessed to be in need

As a Qualifying Care Leaver, you can access advice and assistance based on a needs assessment completed by the Supporting Independence Team. Any financial assistance is dependent upon this assessment of need.

Further information can be found on our Qualifying Care Leavers page.