What support will you arrange for me?
You will be given a social worker. This is a trained professional who will come and meet with you to find out about you and to explain what support we can provide you with. If you have any questions you can ask your social worker.
- Asylum: the team is independent of the Home Office and has no influence over your asylum claim, however we do help you with the process of claiming asylum. For Example we help you visit your solicitor and attend appointments at the Home Office.
- Health: we will make sure that your health is checked when you arrive and you are registered with a doctor’s clinic.
- Education: we will make arrangements for you to start in education. This could be at a school if you are 16 or under, or at a college if you are over 16. We will listen to what you want to learn and what you want to get out of an education. For many, this starts with learning English.
- Finances: if you are placed in foster care your carer and social worker will explain how much money you are allowed. If you are living in semi-independent living someone from the team will visit you every week to see how you are getting on, and provide you with a weekly allowance.
All of these factors will be put together in a document called a care plan in which we will outline the things that you have said you need support with. We will also detail how we will support you with areas including health, education, finances, your asylum claim and any religious needs.
If you are 16 and a half or older your social worker will start work with you on a ‘Pathway Plan’. This is an opportunity for you to start thinking about your future and whether you want to stay in education or start working. It will also help you think about where you will live, where you will get money from, and whether you feel confident in life skills, for example, cooking and cleaning.
We do recognise that for many young people their immigration status is central to thoughts about their future. If you have been given discretionary leave to remain until 17 and a half we will start thinking about all the possibilities that could happen including whether you will be allowed to remain in the UK or the possibility of being returned to your country of origin. Your Pathway Plan will be kept up-to-date as things change in your life and your social worker will review it with you every six months