Looked after children - the benefit implications of entering and leaving care

Full day

Background

This course is essential for anyone concerned with meeting the every child matters outcomes for children & young people in the care of the local authority. Comprehensive and timely benefits advice is crucial when supporting families under pressure to reduce the risk of a child going into care. Family/friend foster carers need to know how caring for additional children will affect their benefits. Care leavers need to know that they are financially secure in the housing, education and career options they choose.

Aims

To provide an overview of how benefits are affected when children & young people move in and out of local authority care.

Contents

• How the Children Act 1989 interacts with the benefits system
• Effect on family benefits when a child goes into care
• Benefit and tax credit options for foster carers
• Family/friend carers applying for special guardianship
• Caring for disabled children
• Benefits for care leavers

Suitable for

Family placement workers, social workers, children centre staff, family support workers, health and education staff, advice workers.

You will need a sound knowledge of benefits for families and children, ideally having completed the benefits for families and children course.

What participants said last year

“As usual an excellent course”

“Everything was focused and relevant”

“Impact of fostering and special guardianship allowances on a carer’s benefits very useful”

This page was last updated on 4 October 2009