Looked After Children (16+) Team

The Looked After Children (16+) Team work with four groups of clients:

Services specific to each client group are:

Looked After Children (LAC) aged 15 – 18.

Looked after children’s cases are transferred to the LAC 16+ Team at some suitable time for them after their 15 birthday. Generally this will happen around the time of their 16 birthday; however individual circumstances need to inform these decisions. Cases will remain allocated to social workers in the team until the young person is 18 unless they cease to be a looked after child at an earlier date. Social workers may stay involved with cases for a short time after the young person ceases to be looked after child if this is required to finish specific pieces of work. Most young people in this category will have a social worker and a personal advisor.

Young people qualifying for services as care leavers under the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000.

The act requires that young people qualifying for services are allocated a personal adviser who works with them to develop what is called a ‘pathway plan’. This plots the route from the looked after system towards independence. Care leavers usually remain eligible for services from the LAC 16+ Team until aged 21. If they are in continuing in higher education this may be extended until they are 24 years old.

Young people qualifying for services as care leavers under Section 24 of the Children Act 1989.

Young people who do not qualify for specific services under the recent legislation are eligible for advice, assistance and support under Section 24. In most case the young person will be allocated a personal adviser, however our duties are more restricted than under the new legislation. Care leavers usually remain eligible for services from the 16+ Team until aged 21, again if they are in continuing in higher education this may be extended until they are 24 years old.

Homeless young people.

Young people aged 16 or 17 who apply for services as homeless are assessed via the initial assessment process by the Referral and Assessment Team. If they only require a housing based service from children’s services they will be transferred to the 16+ team. The 16+ team work with CAS (Combined Accommodation Scheme) which is part of the Fostering Team to provide supported accommodation for young homeless people. The services supplied are around meeting housing needs.