Working together to support you into adulthood and beyond ...
Taking your first steps into adulthood is exciting but can also be a bit scary. How things work can be confusing and complicated and we need people around us to guide us through it all. That is our job, to be your guide, your support, your advocate and a friendly face to share your worries and successes with. We will work hard for you, advocate for you, challenge you and help you build a community of relationships that will support you when you need it. Here at Calderdale Pathways, we want you to know that you will never be alone on your journey to adulthood.
This booklet is our offer to you and contains all of the information about what support is available and who, when and where to go to for help and advice.
The local offer includes information about the law and your rights to advice and support, but also the projects and ideas we have created with and for, care experienced young people in our area.
What is leaving care and who are Calderdale Pathways Team
We are team of people who are here to help care experienced young people to step into adulthood. We work hard to make sure you have a good plan, the right support and lots of positive opportunities. The team is made up of managers and pathways advisors. Every eligible care experienced young person aged 17 and 6 months to age 21 will have a Pathways Advisor (also known as a PA) allocated to them. If you still want support or would like to return to working with us after 21 you can and we will support you until you are 25 or in very specific circumstances for a little longer.
(Leaving care guide - link to be published when available)
- Phone: 07774 123270 (duty mobile).
- Email: PathwaysService@calderdale.gov.uk.
Your Pathways Advisor
When you reach 17 and 6 months old you will be allocated a Pathway Advisor. For 6 months before you turn 18 Your Pathway Advisor will work closely with you and your social worker to make sure that you have something called a pathway plan. This is a plan that covers the following areas:
- Accommodation and housing
- Money and finance
- Relationships
- Health and wellbeing
- Participation, voice and influence
- Education
- Employment and training
At 18, your social worker will stop working with you and your Pathway Advisor will become your main point of contact. Your Pathway Advisor will take time get to know you so we can begin building a relationship with you. Your Pathway Advisor could be a part of your life for up to 7 years providing advice, guidance and support when you need it. They will give you access to financial support from the local authority, help you access other services and more generally just be there for you.
Your pathway plan
A pathway plan is a document that you will complete with your Social Worker at 16. Every 6 months you and your social worker or pathway advisor will review this plan up to the age of 21 and if you need it up to 25. At 18, your Pathway Advisor will be the one who meets with you to review your pathway plan. Your pathway plan will set out your needs, your views, any future goals and what support you will receive. The best pathway plans are the ones that young people have been most involved in completing, as they become a place to record your needs, goals and aspirations, set by you.