Contents

Education, employment and training

Your PA will support you to access the London Borough of Bexley’s training and career services and you will receive the support from a specialist education and employment advisor, helping you into education, employment or training.

As your corporate parent we have high ambitions for you and make it our priority to support you into a job that is good for you, an academic option such as a university course, an apprenticeship or a training course. We will help you get the funding you need to do well, or sign post you to approach charity organisations. Your PA will support you with any practical stuff that you may need.

Young adults leaving our care can also access financial support for their education outside of Leaving Care services. Some of this support is specifically for young adults leaving our care; your PA will support you with this.

At Bexley, we believe that every single young adult can and should be able to work or study. Therefore, your PA will stick by you when you are deciding what you wish to do – and will be there to give you a helping push when you are unsure! It does not matter if you have a gap in your education so long as you start it again as soon as is reasonably possible.

The Leaving Care Service has a full time Careers Advisor in post and her job is to support you with your education, employment and training. The Leaving Care Service will help you to make applications that may financially support your education and training placements.

children in classroom with special needs

Financial support for young adults who have left our care and attend higher education (university or at a college).

If you are a young adult leaving our care and attending Higher Education, you may be entitled to education equipment and living costs, ask your PA for the current amounts. You are entitled to apply for student loans and grants. Usually, you will not be able to claim benefits.

Student loans and maintenance loans are administered by Student Finance. Both will need to be repaid when your earnings reach a certain amount when you have completed your course of further study. See student finance website for further information.

You may also be entitled to a Higher Education Bursary to meet the costs of your ‘out of term’ accommodation. Please visit the government funded website on supporting university finances for further information.

mind gym

One organisation which is useful to know about is Propel, this organisation is run by the Become charity. This organisation is easy to access and offer’s good advice on accessing higher education and colleges. Their details and those of other charities which also offer bursaries and grants are at the end of this document. 

There are many opportunities available which would look great on your CV too, including:

  1. the positive journeys team runs a useful training programme called Total Respect. Your PA will be able to give you more information on this and if you want to participate
  2. recruiting and interviewing new children’s services professionals
  3. meeting the elected members known as Councillors, to share your experience and help them to consider whether the services for children, young people and young adults are reaching the right people, at the right time and in the right way
  4. you could be involved in one of our focus groups. At different times throughout the year, we may need to have a specific group to help us look at certain areas we would like to change or need advice on
  5. ask your PA for the details for our participation officer or our young director for more information about how to get involved