Extended Local Offer for Care Leavers

Welcome to the Local Offer for young people leaving care in Nottingham City. The Local Offer has been in place for several years now and sets out how we plan to support you to become successful in whatever you choose to do.

Our Local Offer complements our Children in Care and Care Leavers Strategy 2023. At Nottingham City we see our role as Corporate Parents to advocate on behalf of care experienced children and young people and to support and empower you to make your own decisions in preparation for adulthood.

We want all of our children and young people to achieve their full potential and obtain the best possible outcomes, the same outcomes that we would expect for our own children.

We are committed to our Corporate Parenting Principles:

• to act in the best interests, and promote the physical and mental health and well-being, of our children and young people
• to encourage children and young people to express their views, wishes and feelings
• to take into account your views, wishes and feelings
• to help children and young people gain access to, and make the best use of, services provided by the local authority and its relevant partners
• to promote high aspirations, and seek to secure the best outcomes, for children and young people
• for children and young people to be safe, and have stability in their home lives, relationships and education or work.
• to prepare children and young people for adulthood and independent living.

Click on the pictures below to find out more

Link to Participation in Society

Link to Where you live

Link to Your money

Link to Your Education, Training and Employment

Link to Relationships, Health and Wellbeing

Link to Your Rights & Entitlements

Leaving Care Team

Team Management

Will Hose
Head of Service, Children in Care & Leaving Care

I am incredibly proud to work for the Nottingham City Children in Care and Care Leavers service. I have worked for Nottingham City Council for many years, am and dedicated to achieving the best outcomes for all our citizens. I want our services to ensure Care Leavers are safe, feel well supported and are listed to. We are committed to improving our services, and part of this improvement means listening to what young people tell us about how we can continually improve and do better. We have high aspirations as a service and for our young people.

Lisa Spencer
Interim Service Manager

What do you like most about being in the team?

I have always loved working in Leaving Care Services and working with young people. I am constantly inspired by young people, their resilience, creativity and personalities. I am passionate about making sure care leavers get the best service possible and I try to make sure we deliver this, by listening to what young people have to say about the service and understanding their ideas for how we can do things better. I am really enjoying working at Nottingham City and getting to know the teams and young people, so we can move forward together to make sure young people receive a great leaving care service in Nottingham City.

Team 1

Sameer Patel
Team Manager

What do you like most about being in the team?

I love being able to see and support our young people to progress towards and achieve their goals!

Saiqa Hussain
Employment & Training Coordinator

I love supporting young people and equipping them in suitable opportunities. I thoroughly strive from positive outcomes and advising young people overcoming barriers.

Leah Harrington
Personal Advisor

What do you like most about being a Personal Adviser?

I enjoy building relationships with young people the most out of this role. As we have longer with these young people, it really gives me the chance to get to know them and what they need from me. This makes the job a lot more enjoyable as you cannot advise someone if you don’t know who theyare on a more personal level.

Jo Shepherd
Personal Advisor

What do you like most about being a Personal Adviser?

Working with lots of different young people and helping them achieve their independence. No two days are the same.

Meghan O’Keefe
Personal Advisor

I like being a PA as I love getting to know new people and getting to know what they like and dislike. I love being able to have conversations with people from different cultures and backgrounds. Every day is something new and different and I like being able to learn something new every day with the young people that I work with. Looking forward to having a chat soon!

Listone Longwe
Personal Advisor

What do you like most about being in the team?

I love working with people and the ability my role gives me to make a difference in someone’s life in ways large or small, is very rewarding. It’s good to be part of a team where there is a genuine spirit of cooperation which revolves around helping our young people so that they can make something of their life.

Leah Lees
Personal Advisor

I have recently joined the Leaving Care Service and I am really looking forward to meeting and supporting our amazing young people.

Team 2

Lynn Pearce
Team Manager

I have been a Team Manager for many years, I enjoy supporting our young people and seeing them achieve their potential.

Stephanie Wilkins
Personal Advisor

What do you like most about being in the team?

I enjoy being part of the team and watching young people grown and achieve all the goals especially when they succeed in living independently!

Edward Hambleton
Homeless Prevention Personal Advisor

What do you like most about being in the team?

Best part of being a PA is when a result comes in for a young person and they are happy. Whether they be getting their immigration status or housing or work, seeing a young person succeed is the best part.

Tanya Davies
Personal Advisor

What do you like most about being in the team?

I like working with young people to enhance their current journey from child to young adult, I like seeing the young people develop life skills, self‐confidence and meeting their personal goals no matter how big or small.

Enoch Tifemi
Personal Advisor

What do you like most about being in the team?

Honestly, the best thing about being a PA is the opportunity to build relationships with my care leavers. I like working in partnership, where we work together to achieve set goals. I also enjoy helping care leavers in difficult situations by working with them to develop strategies to manage challenges. I’ve learnt a lot from care leavers (experiences, likes/dislikes, views on services etc) that has helped improve my role as a PA-which has been key in achieving positive outcomes.

Herbert Nyika
Personal Advisor

What do you like most about being in the team?

Supporting young adults meet their future aspirations.

Emily Davidson
Personal Advisor

I am currently on maternity leave and will be back in spring 2025

Simeon Charles
Personal Advisor

What do you like most about being in the team?

Every day is different.

Elouise Kearney
Personal Advisor

My name is Elouise, but you can call me Ella. I joined the team in April 2024 and am enjoying working with young people and the team. My background is in Domestic Abuse and I hope that I can contribute my knowledge and skills in this to the team.

Sarah Stanley
Personal Advisor

I joined the Leaving Care Team, in June 24, I am really enjoying getting to know young people and working in the service.

Team 3

Natalie Pink
Team Manager

I moved from being a Senior PA in April 2024, to being a Team Manager. While I am sad not to be working directly with young people day to day anymore, what I am enjoying about being a Team Manager is supporting PA’s and hearing about the relationships they have with young people. I am able to support and challenge where needed, because I want the best for all of our young people. I love hearing about everyone’s achievements, big or small!

Alan Monaghan
Senior Personal Advisor

What do you like most about being in the team?

Working directly with young people especially supporting those who are going to university.

Warren Raymond
Personal Advisor

What do you like most about being in the team?

I enjoy being a PA, as I enjoy working with young adults, problem solving challenging behaviour.

Gee Sandhu
Personal Advisor

What do you like most about being in the team?

Enjoy working directly with young people and supporting them into their own accommodation. It is very empowering to see them succeed

Seana Spicer
Personal Advisor

What do you like most about being in the team?

I like meeting different people, young people especially, I like hearing their views and seeing growth over the years that I work with them.

Catherine Alston
Personal Advisor

I have recently joined the team, I’m already enjoying feeling like I can help young people navigate their transitions into independence by providing guidance and support tailored to their needs. I’m looking forward to building up my relationships with young people, watching them grow and gain confidence as they progress.

Carla H.
Personal Advisor

I have recently joined the team, I am looking forward to helping young people during a crucial transitional period. I have a keen interest and experience in mental health so I am hoping to support young people in this area. I am proud to work hard to represent Nottingham and it’s young people.

Amalyah Byrd
Personal Advisor

What do you like most about being in the team?

I enjoy working with the young people and help support them to reach their full potential and help them to have a better life and go on to achieve the goals they aspire to. I am looking forward to learning what happens with a young person when they move from Semi-independence to living fully independently and what that transition looks like.

The local offer includes details of the services and support that available to you as you travel on your journey to independence, it will cover:

• Your Rights and Entitlements
• Your Health and Well-being, with information about staying in good physical, emotional and mental health and services that can support you to manage this.
• Your Relationships to support you develop and maintain positive social networks, reduce loneliness so you don’t feel isolated.
• Your Education, Employment and Training to support you with your career goals and help you find the right pathway for you.
• Your Home to support you to find housing that is right for you.
• Financial Support to support you to understand any financial support that is available to you and support you to manage your money
• Your participation in society, to support you to get involved and have your say. Provide you with information about activities, events or volunteering opportunities available in the local area.

The Local Offer is available to all care leavers who are entitled to the service (see below).

Your Personal Advisor will be introduced to you when you are 16 years old and will attend your child in care reviews to support planning for when you are 18-year-old.

When you are 17 ½ they will alongside you and your social worker to support you to as you prepare to leave care. Your Personal Advisor can work with you up to your 25^th birthday.

When you are 15 ¾ your Social Worker will work with you to put your first pathway plan in place by your 16^th birthday, this will replace your care plan. Pathway planning will continue until you are 21 years old, or up to your 25^th birthday, if you continue working with us.

The pathway plan gives you and your Social Worker/Personal Advisor a place to record your views, your aspirations & goals and the support you might need as you travel into adulthood and independence. The pathway plan will cover the following areas:

• Safe and suitable accommodation
• Education, training and employment
• Finances and money
• Good health: physical, emotional and mental health
• Identity
• Family/relationships/social networks

You may have some particular personal circumstances and the pathway plan will set out what particular /extra support you might need:

• You are an unaccompanied (or former) unaccompanied asylum-seeking child
• You have special educational needs
• You are a young person in custody
• You are a young parent
• You are at university/apprenticeship.

If there is an emergency and you or someone you know is at risk of harm or a crime is taking place, contact Emergency Services.

Do NOT wait to speak to your Personal Advisor.

It is a good idea to have numbers saved to your phone if it is safe for you, or in a safe place.

Call 999 and ask for police, ambulance or fire service.

If you are in immediate danger always call 999 for an emergency response from the police.Silent calls to the police will work if you are not safe to speak – use the Silent Solution system and call 999 and then press 55 when prompted.

If it is not an emergency but you need to contact the police you can call: 101

Crimestoppers 0800 555111 or Crimestoppers webpage (opens in new tab)

Children in Care Police Officers are also available to help Care Leavers.

If you urgently need to speak with someone about your mental health:

Samaritans. To talk about anything that is upsetting you, you can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call 116 123 (free from any phone), email jo@samaritans.org or visit some branches in person. You can also call the Samaritans Welsh Language Line on 0808 164 0123 (7pm–11pm every day).

Saneline: If you're experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else, you can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10.30pm every day).

National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK. Offers a supportive listening service to anyone with thoughts of suicide. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652 (6pm to midnight every day).

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). You can call the CALM on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm–midnight every day) if you are struggling and need to talk. Or if you prefer not to speak on the phone, you could try the CALM webchat service.

Nightline: If you're a student, you can look on the Nightline website to see if your university or college offers a night-time listening service. Nightline phone operators are all students too.

Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust: 24/7 crisis helpline for all ages across Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County. Tel: 0808 196 3779

You can visit the Leaving Care webpages at: Leaving Care Service | Ask Lion - Nottingham City Directory

You can visit the Children in Care webpages at: Children In Care | Ask Lion - Nottingham City Directory