Education, training and employment support for care leavers
Your Personal Advisor will support you to access our training and career services. You can also see a specialist education and employment advisor.
We have high hopes for you and we will help you get the funding you need to succeed.
At Harrow, we believe that every single young adult can and should be able to work or study. Your personal advisor will stick by you when you are making decisions, and they'll be there to give you a helping hand when you feel stuck!
It doesn't matter if you have a gap in your education, so long as you start again as soon as you can.
Funding for education, training and employment
We can also support you with transport costs when you are travelling to training, school, college, apprenticeships or job interviews.
The Leaving Care services will help you to make applications that may financially support your education and training placements.
Depending on what path you choose, we can help you with the following:
- financial support to buy tools, equipment, essential clothing, and books, when necessary.
- support for travel costs to training, school, college, apprenticeship or job interviews.
- a £1000 bursary for starting an apprenticeship.
- the 16-19 Bursary Fund (£1200 a year) if you study in further education.
- support with travel and lunch costs if you go to college.
- a £1000 bursary per year for your first degree if you go to university.
- £250 and support with graduation costs if you graduate from your first degree.
Holiday accommodation for students
If you're staying in university accommodation during term-time, we will provide somewhere for you to stay during the holidays. If you prefer to make your own arrangements we can help to pay for it.
This offer is conditional to you being in full time higher education or full time residential further education and your term time accommodation is not available.
Please ask your Personal Advisor at least one month before it is needed so we can plan this together.
You may also be entitled to a Higher Education Bursary to meet the costs of your ‘out of term’ accommodation.
Student finance
If you are at university, you can apply for student loans and grants. Usually, you cannot claim benefits on top of this if you are at university.
Student loans and maintenance loans are managed by Student Finance. You'll need to repay them after you complete your studies, when your earnings reach a certain amount. For details, see Student finance.
Two organisations which are useful to know about are:
- Buttle UK: a charity that awards universities a ‘quality mark’ for offering additional support to Young adults leaving care
- Propel UK: run by the Become charity
Apprenticeships for Care Leavers
As a care leaver, you have access to apply for a variety of paid apprenticeship opportunities.
You can find opportunities on the Care leaver covenant website.
Your personal advisor can help you find an apprenticeship and apply.
Your experience as a care leaver
As a care leaver, you have opportunities that can enhance your CV. These include:
- Attending the Harrow Corporate Parenting Panel: You will be able to share your experiences of being looked after or leaving care with elected members and senior leaders of Children’s services. This activity has a voucher reward as it is delivered in a professional setting, and it's a great opportunity to have your voice heard at a political level.
- Recruiting and interviewing new children’s services professionals: You can be an interview panel member and help us to select the best staff to work in Harrow children’s services.
- Meeting Councillors: Share your experience and help them to consider whether the services for children, young people and young adults are reaching the right people in the right way.
- Focus groups: Take part in discussions to help us look at certain areas we would like to change or need advice on.
To get involved speak to your Personal Advisor.
Careers advice
Harrow Prospects
We have a specialist Careers Advisor who works with Young people aged 16-19, who are unemployed (up to 25 if special educational needs).
You can contact them at:
Website: Harrow Youth Stop
Tel: 020 8427 8617
Email: harrowys@prospects.co.uk
The Xcite programme
Xcite is a free training and employment programme for people in Harrow aged over 18. They provide a full range of support to help Harrow residents into work
Xcite will help you find work with emphasis on identifying and overcoming any barriers.
Job Help
You can also find hints and tips about looking for work on the Government's Job help website.