What will happen when I turn 16?
If you have been looked after for 13 weeks since you were 14, and you are still looked after when you are 16 (a bit confusing!), then you will be able to get help from Bristol’s Care & After Service.
To make sure that you are ready to live on your own, you will get a new Personal Advisor when you turn 16 (or when you are 15 and nearly 16). They work in a team called Care & After Service. It is their job to support you and to help you think about what you can do to get ready to live on your own once you are 18. It is the Care & After service’s job to make sure you have a Personal Advisor, financial assistance, and somewhere to live.
Just because you have a new social worker does not mean that you will be move from where you are living. Usually you can stay where you are living if you are still happy there. If you are ready, you might move where you are living to a place that gives you more independence. This is called Semi-Independent living. Your social worker and independent reviewing officer will talk to you about this when you are 15 and/or 16.
Good luck with your first steps into adult life and remember that the Care & After Team are always here to give you advice.
