Other areas of support for pregnancy or parenting, custody/probation involvement, unaccompanied/former unaccompanied asylum seekers

Are you a parent or if you are going to become a parent

If you are a parent or if you are expecting a baby, we will support you to do the best for them.

• Your GP and midwife can talk to you about the health services available to you.
• Your Personal Adviser (PA) can work with your health visitor or midwife who can give you information about financial support (for example: Child Benefit, Universal Credit, Healthy Start Vouchers, Sure Start Maternity Grant) and schemes in place to support you.
• We will help you access information about childcare options (Care to Learn Fund, Child Care Vouchers) if this is what you need.
• If you are a first time mum, we can make a referral to the family nurse partnership for extra support.
• We can introduce you to the care leaver champion in your local children’s centre. The role of a champion is to help welcome you and ensure that you feel comfortable. They can meet you with your PA and come and visit you at home.
• We can make a referral for specialist parenting support to prepare you for having a baby and for advice and support once your baby arrives.
• We can support you to attend important meetings about your child if you need it.
• We will provide you with a hamper of baby goodies to celebrate the arrival of your new baby.
• You will receive £100 festival allowance age 18 - 21.

View finanical information on our money matters page.

Family Hubs are a range of services for Parents, Parents to be and Carers of children aged 0-2. They are community and online based to support you around:

• becoming a parent
• understanding your baby
• talking to your baby and toddler
• infant feeding
• first aid and toddler proofing your home
• social support and meet like minded friends.

To find out more please view the Family Hubs webpage or email: telfordfamilyhubs@telford.gov.uk.

If you are UASC (an Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Child)

Former unaccompanied children who qualify as care experienced young people and who have been granted leave to remain in the United Kingdom, or who have an outstanding asylum or other human rights claim or appeal, are entitled to the same level of care and support from the local authority as any other care leaver. We will make sure you have a pathway plan in place that is suited to you, your needs, and your wishes.

Following an assessment of need, Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children aged 16 and 17 years can be provided with a £5 per week phone card/contact allowance where they have significant family members overseas.

If you have lost contact with your family from your country of origin, we will support you by linking you with agencies who help to trace families (for example British Red Cross). However, depending on your immigration status, some support may have to be limited.

View finanical information on our money matters page.

If you are in custody or have involvement from probation

The Prison, Probation and local authority will work together to provide consistent and appropriate support.

If you have been in custody, you are entitled to the same level of PA support as all our other young people up to 21 / 25.

Care experienced young people in custody will receive:

• you can regular support and visits from your PA up to 21, this can be extended at 21 up to 25, or can resume up to 25 if you did feel you needed the support at 21
• where possible you will keep the same PA up to age 25
• family members can access the Assisted Prison Visits scheme via the DWP and where this is not available the leaving care team can complete a needs assessment for family member travel assistance
• if aged 16/17 and the institution does not provide an allowance scheme (linked to undertaking education/training), we will provide £10 per week pocket money and £5 per week clothing allowance up to age 21
• provide the applicable Birthday and Festival allowance up to age 21
• in circumstances where you have to leave your accommodation and require storage, you should seek to arrange this via family, friends and former carers. In exceptional circumstances children’s services will organise the storage of up to three boxes of important personal items (photos, important documents, certificates etc)
• care experienced young people who have been in custody have access to the £3,559 Setting Up Home Grant on release. Where young people are being discharged from hospital or being released from custody immediately prior to, or immediately after their 25th birthday, the final pathway plan you and your PA work on should set out when and how the Setting Up Home Grant will be accessed and used. If you don’t have a discharge or release date by your 25th birthday, the service and the provision of the grant will cease, as the use of the Setting Up Home Grant should be completed by 25 and a half
• for 18 to 21 year olds access to a prison release or hospital discharge grant of up to £100 depending on an assessment of need and having been in custody or hospital for over a year
• support to access to the prisons resettlement service to claim universal credit 28 days prior to release
• if available, support to access the Rees Foundation – support to care experienced young people in custody or have probation involvement
• access prison discharge grant and travel warrant
• upon release we can meet you at the gates.

View finanical information on our money matters page.