Your help and support offer

Your personal advisor

Around your 16th birthday we will start to talk to you about whether you will benefit from the support of a personal advisor (PA) as well as your social worker. For some young people it will be the right decision, based on your views and needs, that a PA starts to work alongside your social worker from your 16th birthday. For other young people this may not be right, and you may not want a PA supporting you until later.

All young people will have a dedicated PA to support them from the age of 17yrs. We will review your needs nearing your 21st birthday and offer support up to your 25th birthday in a way that is right for you. We will also continue to support through a dedicated PA beyond 21 years if you are in full-time education or training.

Some of the things your PA can help you with include:

• Help to find somewhere suitable to live that will help you manage in independence as well as to be safe.
• Help you to get the education, training, work experience or a job, that will help you have a successful adult life.
• Help you get the financial support you need and get you advice about managing your money (see Section 10 on Financial Support for full details).
• Help with advice to keep healthy and get access to good health advice
• Offer advice and guidance on the issues that you are not sure about

The relationship between you and your PA is important. The better the relationship, the more you will benefit from having a PA. To make the most of your PA it’s important to keep in touch and agree how much contact you’d like. As a minimum your PA will visit you at least every 8 weeks. These visits will be arranged and agreed with you. We can keep in touch in other ways too – all PAs have an email address and mobile phone. You will also get a monthly email newsletter with useful information. 

If you need help and your PA is not available, you can always contact our duty team.

Our duty team details (updated March 2024)

• Our duty telephone number for the 18+ Care Leavers Service is: 0121 464 1229.
• We are available 8.45 a.m. to 5.15 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 8.45 a.m. to 4.15 p.m on Fridays.
• You can call in at our office, One Avenue Road, Aston, Birmingham, B6 4DU between these hours.
• Ask the friendly reception staff as you go in, to let the 18+ duty team know you would like to see a Personal Adviser.
• Reception will call us and a team member will come to reception to see you. We have access to a quiet space where you can speak in confidence.
• Buses to use: The main bus route is the Number 65 and 67, both go from the city centre. These buses will drop you right outside One Avenue Road, and the Number 8 route crosses nearby. The 65 and 67 buses go from outside the large B&M store in the city centre.
• Walking here From Birmingham New Street Station: There are a number of pedestrian routes you can take from New Street Station to get to One Avenue Road. This is the most direct route that follows a designated pedestrian path from the station, all the way through to the office and is well lit.
• Outside of these office hours, if you have an urgent problem or need advice and support, please contact the Emergency Duty Team on 0121 675 4806.  

Pathway plan

• All children and young people aged between 16 and 21 years of age in our care or who have left our care should have a pathway plan.
• A pathway plan is a written document that helps everyone to understand what you need and what help and support you will get.
• You will work with your social worker or PA to develop your pathway plan.
• Your plan will be reviewed with you and updated at least twice a year.