Introduction to our Local Offer
Find the information you need about our Local Offer, at the time that you need it.
Our care leavers have been involved in developing these pages. If you'd like to be involved with this, or any of our other projects, we'd love to hear from you.
Email our Leaving Care Team leavingcareduty@stockport.gov.uk or call 07773 127 768. You can also search for the team on Facebook.
You can also call Natalie, our care leaver project worker on 07423 638 897, or search Facebook for Natalie Insight.
About our offer
Our care leavers offer sets out the support you can receive from the Leaving Care Team as you get older.
Our support starts from the age of 16 years, when your Social Worker will introduce your Leaving Care Worker to you, also called your Personal Adviser (PA).
Your PA will support you with everything you need to know and prepare for as you approach 18 years old. Then from the age of 18, your PA will be your key worker. They'll support you and make sure your wishes, feelings and plans for the future are set out in your own Pathway Plan.
We work closely with all the services that support young people. We call this The Team around the Care Leaver (PDF 997Kb)
This support continues until you are 21 years old, and can continue up to 25 years if you want this.
Visit our Local Offer and entitlements page to find out more. You can also download the leaving care local offer guide 2022 to 2023.
Post 25 offer
We're also here for you after the age of 25. Should you need our help and advice, no matter how long after you leave care, you can get in touch.
Read our Post 25 offer for Care Leavers leaflet (PDF 29Kb) for more information about our offer.
Pure Insight
The Leaving Care Team work closely with Pure Insight, a local charity providing additional services and support for our care leavers up to the age of 28.
Think about these questions:
- do you have someone in your life that's just for you?
- do you want to get involved in some fun activities like mountain climbing, kayaking and bike riding?
- do you need support with your mental health or access to counselling?
- do you want to get involved in the care leavers forum to help improve services for care leavers?
Visit the Pure Insight website to find out what they do and to read their latest newsletters to see how you can be a part of it all.
Accessing your files
As a care leaver, you have the right to ask to see the personal information that has been recorded while you've been in care and since leaving care. When you ask for this information, this is called making a Subject Access Request (SAR). Your PA will talk you through the process. You can find more information about making a SAR in our guide (PDF 1.6Mb.
Care Leaver Champions
Our Care Leaver Champions are senior leaders in the council who help to champion and raise awareness of the needs of care leavers. Our Care Leaver Champions are:
- Cllr Wendy Meikle: Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education
- Cllr Colin Foster: Chair of Children and Families Scrutiny Committee
- Caroline Simpson: Chief Executive Officer
- Michael Cullen: Borough Treasurer
- Chris McLoughlin: Director of Children’s Services
- Jennie Neill: Head of Service, People and Organisational Development
- Heidi Shaw: Stockport Family Joint Director of Operations
- Rebecca Key: Stockport Family Joint Director of Operations (Principal Social Worker)
- Julia Newton: Principal Social Worker, Adult Social Care
- Richard Mortimer: Head of Economy, Work and Skills