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Coventry Aftercare

Coventry Aftercare Project works in partnership with Coventry Social Services to provide support and advice to young people, up to the age of 21 (24 if in education) who are or have been looked after by a local authority and young people who have not been looked after but are in need, eg homeless young people.

What does Coventry Aftercare Project provide?

The project provides a range of services to prepare young people for independent living:

  • preparation groups
  • leaving care grants
  • advice services (IRS)
  • support and advice on accommodation, careers, leisure, health issues and finance

The services offered are developed in consultation with young people.  They all have the opportunity to take part in a forum made up of young people who use the project.

If you want to find out more about the project or the forum, you can contact the project through a social worker or by getting in touch yourself on 024 7625 7733.

Preparation

Preparing for independence is an ongoing process. Your accommodation support worker and aftercare personal adviser are there to help you with this process.

Preparation begins before you leave residential or foster care and will continue until you feel confident that you are able to live independently.

We will support you on an individual one-to-one basis and also through a preparation group. Preparing for independence means gaining a range of skills. These include:

  • self care skills, like looking after yourself and eating well
  • practical skills, like budgeting and shopping
  • interpersonal skills, like getting on with friends and talking to officials
  • awareness of health issues
  • confidence building and coping methods

Pathway Plan

Do you know what you want to do with your future?
Do you know how to make it happen?
Do you know who will help you do it?

This is exactly what your Pathway Plan does!!!

Your Pathway Plan looks at key aspects of your life, and sets out clearly who is going to help and support you in achieving your goals. Your allocated personal adviser will be the co-ordinator of this plan until your 21st birthday (or 24th birthday if you are still in full-time education). Your plan is reviewed with you twice a year to make sure it reflects your changing needs.

Connexions

Connexions is a careers advice and support service for young people. Your Connexions adviser can offer you help, support and advice on the following:

  • finding work or training, and thinking about careers
  • personal things, like relationships, drugs and alcohol, and being in care and leaving care
  • voluntary work, youth groups, travel, the law and benefits

Contact details:

Your Connexions personal adviser can be contacted at:

The Rocklands Centre
138 Foleshill Road
Coventry
CV1 4JJ
Tel: 024 7625 7733 or

The One Stop Shop
Tel: 024 7660 7900

Young People's Forum

Do you want to...

  • meet friends
  • experience new things
  • have your say
  • make a difference in your world?

Then join the Young People's Forum

Where? NCH Aftercare project

When? The first Wednesday of every month

What time? 6.00 p.m. - 8.00 p.m. unless stated otherwise

Previously the forum has taken part in video nights, quiz nights and outdoor activities, been bowling, ice-skating, attended pantomimes, produced newsletters and dramas and lots more - it can be whatever you want it to be.

What we need are your suggestions, ideas and most importantly YOU!!!

If you are interested in attending or finding out more about the forum then please call us for further information.

Initial Response Service

Initial Response Service (IRS) is the daily service that runs at Coventry Aftercare Project. The IRS worker is there to respond to:

  • young people who have concerns or enquiries at a time when their aftercare personal adviser is not around
  • general enquiries about the project
  • enquiries that need to be directed to other agencies

The IRS worker is available between 10.00 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. Monday to Friday at Coventry Aftercare Project. Tel: 024 7625 7733

What is CLASP?

CLASP stands for the Care Leavers Accommodation Support Project.

CLASP works in partnership with Coventry Aftercare Project and Coventry Social Services, in order to provide practical and emotional support to young people who are leaving care and making the transition to independence.

Referring to CLASP:

Your aftercare personal adviser will make a referral to CLASP on your behalf once your accommodation and support needs have been assessed.

CLASP supports young people up to the age of 21 (24 if in education) who are or have been looked after by the local authority.

What CLASP provides:

The project provides a range of services to prepare young people for independent living and support them in their own accommodation:

  • allocated support worker
  • individual support packages
  • preparation groups
  • practical guidance and emotional support
  • referrals to accommodation providers

The referral process

When you begin having discussions with your aftercare personal adviser and social worker about living independently, a referral will be made to a project called Care Leavers Accommodation Support or CLASP for short.

CLASP is a support and advice service for young people aged 16-21 (24 if in education). CLASP works in close partnership with the Coventry Aftercare Project.

Following on from the discussions a decision will be made about the type of accommodation you require.  This information will be included in your Pathway Plan.

At CLASP we will aim to help you identify the support you will need to live independently and successfully.

Accommodation

Your Pathway Plan will help us to identify the most suitable accommodation to meet your needs. CLASP has links to a number of housing agencies in the Coventry area.

A shared house?

  • We have access to a number of shared houses where three young people can share a house
  • Shared houses are best suited to young people who have limited experience of independence or living on their own

Or a bedsit?

  • We can also find bedsit accommodation for young people who plan to live on their own
  • Bedsits are best suited to young people who have been assessed as having the independence skills and coping skills needed
  • Bedsits can be requested in any area of Coventry, however sometimes there is a waiting list.

Other new accommodation is being developed in Coventry that will provide medium to high level support.  Your aftercare personal adviser and CLASP worker will tell you about these new resources as they develop.

Referral and support forum

The referral and support forum is made up of workers from accommodation providers, Social Services, NCH Aftercare and CLASP.

We all meet once a month to discuss referrals for young people who are leaving care and who will need accommodation and support.

The referral and support forum also tracks the progress young people are making in their accommodation and identifies any extra support they may need.

Leaving Care Grants

When you are moving out of care to live independently you might need to get some essential items for your new home. These could include items such as a cooker or some furniture. You can get some help with buying these items by applying for leaving care grant.

How to apply

Talk to your aftercare personal adviser and CLASP worker who will visit you in your new place to assess what you need and whether there are any other sources of funding.  Your CLASP worker will then help you to buy your household items and arrange their delivery.

Coventry Aftercare Project aims to:

  • ensure that everyone who comes to the service receives equal treatment
  • provide a quality service
  • accept and respect differences
  • learn about others
  • promote independence
  • be a "user-friendly" service for young people

Coventry Aftercare Project believes:

  • discrimination is not acceptable
  • every individual is important
  • the service should be sensitive to the needs of every individual
  • inappropriate behaviour should be challenged appropriately

and last, but definitely not least, Coventry Aftercare Project will:

  • respect you
  • make time for you
  • understand your needs
  • support and encourage you to achieve your goals

Contact details

The Rocklands Centre
138 Foleshill Road
Coventry
CV1 4JJ
Tel: 024 7625 7733

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