When you will get a personal advisor and how they will support you
A personal advisor is an experienced, skilled and knowledgeable professional who will be allocated to you as your named worker. They will keep in touch with you at least every 8 weeks and will visit you at home and in the community. A personal advisor’s role is to befriend, support, signpost and advise you on anything you need. Our ambition is to empower and support you to develop the confidence and skills to live independent and fulfilled lives.
Personal advisors are allocated to you when you reach your 16th birthday. If you remain in our care between 16 and 18 years of age, your personal advisor will work alongside your social worker to support you. If you are no longer a cared for child, you will not have an allocated social worker.
Your personal advisor will support you until you are 21 years of age. Your personal advisor can continue to support you until you are aged 25, if you feel this would be helpful. If you stop having a personal advisor when you turn 21, you will still be able to access the local offer and support. Our dedicated duty service has two named personal advisors and a team manager on call each day to help you.
From the age of 15 years and 9 months, any cared for child or care experienced child/young person will have a pathway plan. Your social worker and/or personal advisor will complete this plan with you, creating specific goals for each area of your life and ensuring any support need is identified and implemented to ensure you are supported in your developing independence and in achieving all the things that are important to you. The pathway plans will be unique to you and your own needs, wishes and feelings. These may include specific support around your individual needs such as whilst you are studying at university or if you are becoming a parent. Your pathway plan will be formally and fully reviewed at least every 6 months.