Become, the national charity for children in care and young care leavers, recognises the crucial role Personal Advisers (PAs) play in helping young people leaving care. Yet, calls to the charity's Care Advice Line reveal a gap: care leavers reporting a lack of support from their PAs, and PAs themselves, struggling to provide the guidance they want to offer.
In response, Become launched its accredited Personal Adviser Programme, in 2021.
‘We found there was no standardised training, qualification or induction for PAs nationally, despite the pivotal role they play in supporting care leavers towards greater independence', explains Katy Hudson, Head of Training at Become. ‘While there are examples of excellent practice, support isn't consistent. That leaves some young people leaving care without the support they need.'
Co-designed with care-experienced young people, PAs and leaving care managers from four local authorities, the programme consists of 10 training units covering essential topics such as trauma informed practice, rights and entitlements, effective communication with care leavers and professionals, and pathway planning. A unique feature is that the programme is co-delivered by care leavers themselves.
‘No one understands the care system better than those who've lived it', says Katy. ‘PAs are in this job because they care about young people and want to make a difference, but they don't always realise the impact trauma can have on a young person.
‘Hearing directly from care leavers about how certain approaches can cause uncertainty, or escalate problems, really highlights the importance of a trauma informed approach.'
Matt Clayton, strategic lead for children's services at Coventry City Council, was one of four leaving care managers involved with the design of the programme. ‘I was really keen to be involved', says Matt. ‘PAs can come from all walks of life, teaching or youth work for example, which has its strengths, but what was missing was a national qualification or training programme.
‘We tried to plug that gap with our own training, but to be part of something bigger that came with the expertise of being co-designed with care experienced young people was exciting.'
Adds Matt: ‘There are challenges around including young people's voices in our work, it can be triggering. That's why it's good to work with organisations like Become, because you know they provide that wraparound care for young people to make sure participation is done authentically and safely.'
And what's been the impact on the care leavers themselves? ‘They talk about how they feel they're part of a big family', says Matt. ‘The improvements are so positive. They talk about how well they feel supported, that their PA advocates for them and they have strong relationships. The training has been a big part of the team getting to that stage.'
A growth in confidence is the key difference Matt has seen in his team who've undergone the PA training. ‘Often PAs feel like the least qualified person in the room. One day they're helping a young person go to university, next it's solving a housing problem, then a mental health situation. They're working with professionals who only deal in that field and know far more than they do.
‘The PA programme has given them a greater understanding of legislation and the roles they have to play, as well as the impact of trauma. They feel a lot more confident and less like they're making it up as they go along.'
While the programme can't reduce the high numbers of young people a PA has to support, it can help PAs plan their time more effectively. ‘We can't help with their workload, but we do equip them with the knowledge to do their job well and more efficiently, so they're not scrambling for answers,' says Katy.
An unexpected benefit has the been the sense of community the course has created for the learners. ‘There's a sense of joint professionalism and hearing from PAs at other local authorities how they do things and learn best practice', says Matt.
‘Every PA we recruit now does the training, alongside other authorities from across the West Midlands, which has helped build relationships across the region. We all have young people living in different authorities. Now the PAs have someone they can tap into for services there.'
And what's been the impact on the care leavers themselves? ‘They talk about how they feel they're part of a big family', says Matt. ‘The improvements are so positive. They talk about how well they feel supported, that their PA advocates for them and they have strong relationships. The training has been a big part of the team getting to that stage.'
Katy Hudson at Become has heard the same. ‘PAs feel valued when their local authority is prepared to invest in their development.
‘Many graduates of the programme have gone on to be leads within their teams, or be the person that says "Right, let's do an event for National Care Leavers Week", whereas before they didn't have that. That makes young people feel seen and heard and above all, valued.'
To find out more visit Become
