Who is a care leaver?

It can be quite hard to know exactly what support you should be getting, as it can be different depending on which type of care leaver you are, your age and where you are living at the time.

There are four different legal types of care leaver: Eligible, Relevant, Former Relevant, and Qualifying. Knowing which you are in can help you understand what support and help is available to you.

If you’re not sure, you can ask your Social Worker or Personal Adviser to explain, or you can click here to be taken to a website where you can answer a few questions to help work it out.

Am I a Care Leaver?
You are a care leaver if you are under 25 years old and have spent time in care as a child or young person. The amount of support you can get will depend on your age and circumstances. To get our support automatically and in full, you must have been in care for 13 weeks since the age of 14 and remain looked after between 16 and 18 years old.

In order to understand the type of support that you will receive from the Leaving Care Service you will need to understand some key words which are used to describe the 4 categories of Care Leaver. These key words and definitions are described below:

• Eligible Care Leaver
• Relevant Care Leaver
• Former Relevant Care Leaver
• Qualifying Care Leaver

Check your care leaver status and rights using the Coram voice care leaver tool.

Eligible Care Leaver
You are aged 16 or 17 years old and:

• have been looked after for at least 13 weeks since your 14th birthday, including at least one day when you were aged 16 or 17; and
• are currently in care

It does not matter whether those 13 weeks were continuous or spread across several different periods.

Relevant Care Leaver
You are aged 16 or 17 years and:

• were previously Eligible; and
• are no longer in care

The definition of ‘Relevant’ can be confusing. Some young people who were detained in hospital or a young offenders institution before their 16th birthday may also become ‘Relevant’ when they turn 16.

Former Relevant Care Leaver
You are aged 18 to 24 and:

• used to be eligible or relevant immediately before turning 18 years

If you are in education on your 25th birthday, you remain ‘Former Relevant’ until the course you are doing is finished.

Qualifying Care Leaver

• you are aged 16 to 21 (or up to 25 if you are in education or training) and one of the following applies to you:
• you were in care for less than 13 weeks after your 16th birthday and are no longer looked after; or
• you are aged 16 or 17 and have been living at home with your parents for at least six months, either:
  • under a Placement with Parents arrangement where your care order has ended; or
  • as a Relevant young person; or
• you received Short Breaks under Section 20; or
• one of the following applies to you:
  • you were looked after immediately before a Special Guardianship Order was made and are now over 16;
  • you were privately fostered at age 16 or 17;
  • you were accommodated by, or on behalf of, a voluntary organisation;
  • you were accommodated in a private children’s home;
  • you lived continuously for at least three months in a residential special school provided by a local authority or health body; or
  • you lived continuously for at least three months in a care home, independent hospital, or accommodation provided by an NHS body

To request support, please contact Tameside’s Leaving Care team, or visit the Care Leavers Hub, Old Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 7SG.