Decision details

The Council must consult on and publish a Local Offer for care leavers, outlining the support and services available to them, information on their statutory entitlements as well as discretionary support that the Council chooses to provide.

The Cabinet will receive a report on a review of the current Local Offer, following benchmarking against other Local Authorities, which will outline additional proposals for inclusion in the Local Offer, some of which are already being offered as well as new initiatives, including the exemption of care leavers from Council Tax.   

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Agree the updated version of the Care Leavers’ Local Offer at Appendix 1 of the report;

(ii)  Agree to recommend to Assembly that it endorses LBBD Care Leavers resident in the Borough to be exempted from Council Tax up to the age of 25, effective from April 2020;

(iii)  Agree that officers, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration, develop a ‘saving for independence’ scheme for LBBD Care leavers aged 21 to 25 based on a sum equivalent to 50% of the Council Tax exemption; and

(iv)  Agree to delegate authority to the Director of People and Resilience, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration, to develop and approve a bespoke Local Offer for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children as outlined in section 7.3 of the report.