The 16+ Team work in partnership with young people aged 16+ who are care experienced, young people in need of care and support, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, and young people aged 16+ who live with a special guardian. Our ethos is founded on compassion, empowerment, and inclusivity, guaranteeing that every young person, irrespective of their background, experiences safety, feels valued, and are fully supported during their transition to adulthood.
For young people who are looked after by the Local Authority, at the age of 15.9 years, you will be supported by the 16+ Team. You will have an allocated Social Worker who will spend time getting to know you and understand all of the things that matter most to you. Together, your Social Worker and you will coproduce a Pathway Plan that sets out all of the goals you wish to achieve, and the support you need to achieve them. At the age of 16, you will meet your Personal Advisor, who will support you alongside your Social Worker, focusing on getting you ready for your transition to independence. We know this can be a scary time, but we will be here every step of the way- remember, you are not alone! Whilst at the age of 18 you will no longer need the support of your Social Worker, your Personal Advisor will remain with you right up to the age of 25, should you wish, by which time you will have all of the skills and support you need to live a happy and fulfilled adult life.
For young people aged 16 to 18 and in need of extra support, we are here for you. We call this Care and Support, which is voluntary and completely led by you. For young people needing our support, you will have an allocated 16+ worker, who will be your main point of contact and are here to offer advice, guidance, and support whenever you need it. They’ll work closely with you and your family to make sure you always know who to turn to if you have any questions or worries. We also work closely with other professionals like schools, colleges, Youth Justice Service, and community services, to make sure you have the right support in place when you need it. Our aim is to work together with you and not make decisions for you. We want to build on your strengths and help you achieve the best outcomes for you as you transition into adult life.
For all young people transferring to the care of Merthyr Tydfil Children’s Services via the National Transfer Scheme, irrespective of age, you will be supported by the 16+ Team. Our staff have a wealth of experience supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children so rest assured, you are in safe hands. We have established relationships with interpreters, the Home Office, immigration solicitors, and multi-cultural community projects throughout South Wales. We will support you to settle into your new life in the UK and be with you every step of the way as you seek Leave to Remain.
For young people who are aged 16+ who live/ did live with a special guardian, but who were looked after by the local authority immediately before the making of a Special Guardianship Order, known as a Category 5 Care Leaver, you can reach out for support from the team whenever the need arises. You can do this by either making contact with the Special Guardianship Team or by contacting the 16+ Team directly. You will have an allocated Personal Advisor who will get to know you and understand your support needs. Together you will coproduce your Pathway Plan that sets out all of the goals you wish to achieve, and the support you need to achieve them. Support can be time limited and need specific, such as help to secure accommodation; however, you can reconnect at any time the need arises, right up to the age of 25.
We promise to:
Support you to have the same life chances as every other young person in Wales.
Recognise you for who you are, not just by your experience of being in care.
Work with you to ensure your views, feelings and ideas are integral to, influence and inform the services you receive and the way you receive those services.
Ensure professionals working with you understand your needs and have access to information, training, and support that helps them do this.
Ensure you reach your potential and enjoy a wide experience of leisure, cultural, sport and social activities.
Make sure you feel valued, respected, cared for, and loved.
Provide support to access the right health care and advice needed to support you to achieve the best physical, mental health and general well-being.
Seek out and provide stable places to live that are right for you.
Provide opportunities and support for you to learn/develop and help you become who you want to be.
Ensure you are prepared for the future and able to make positive choices for independent living and adulthood.
Provide access to the support and information available after leaving care.
You are a Category 1 young person if:
This basically means you are a young person aged 16–17 who is still being looked after by the local authority.
What the local authority must do for you
If you’re a Category 1 young person, the local authority has to support you in the same way as all other children in care. This means they must:
The 16+ Team also have extra responsibilities to help you plan for your future:
They must talk to you and find out what support, advice, and help you will need both:
This is your plan that includes:
They must check the plan with you to make sure it still fits your needs and update it when things change.
You will have a PA who will:
A Category 2 young person is someone who:
This basically means you are a care leaver under 18.
What the Local Authority Must Do for You
Your personal adviser is there to support you, help with plans, and make sure you get the right help.
A Category 3 young person is someone who is 18 or older and:
Basically, it means the young person is a care leaver over 18 who still gets support.
What support do Category 3 young people get?
The local authority must continue to support them by:
Living & Work/Training Support
General Well‑Being Support
Post‑18 Living Arrangements
Pathway Plan & Personal Adviser
Higher Education Support (e.g., university)
A Category 4 young person is someone who:
What the Council Must Do
If you are a Category 4 young person, the local authority must support you with your education or training. They can help you by:
How Long Does Support Last?
The local authority must support you until:
A Category 5 young person is someone who:
What the local authority must do
The local authority must look at what support you need.
If your Special Guardian can’t give enough support, the council must:
A Category 6 young person is someone who
The local authority must support you if:
If both apply, the local authority must:
What support you can get
The local authority can help by:
Your Social Worker is responsible for co-producing your Pathway Plan with you, ensuring it details all of your personal goals and the support you need to achieve them. Your Social Worker is responsible for keeping the Pathway Plan up to date and reviewed regularly. In addition, your Social Worker will visit you regularly to ensure you are happy, being cared for, and having all of your needs consistently met. Your Social Worker will work closely with you and your Personal Advisor to ensure you have all of the support you need to make a successful transition to adulthood. You will have a Social Worker up to the age of 18, where your Personal Advisor then becomes the main point of support.
At the age of 16, all care experienced young people are introduced to their Personal Advisor, who will co-support the young person alongside the social worker, up to the age of 18. At 18, the social worker’s involvement will end, and the Personal Advisor becomes the main point of support, until the person reaches the age of 25.
The role of the Personal Advisor is a crucial role in supporting young people as they transition from local authority care to adulthood. The Personal Advisor acts as a key support person, advocate and link to services, working closely with the care leaver to plan and manage their journey to independence.
Once a young person reaches the age of 18, it is then the Personal Advisor role to maintain contact with the young person whether it is via phone call/text message or face to face visits, at a minimum of every 2 months. It is their role to ensure that the Pathway Plan is reviewed every 6 months, or sooner if required, and is co-produced with the young person, until they reach the age of 25.
‘When I Am Ready’ is a Welsh Government scheme that lets young people in foster care stay living with their foster carers after they turn 18.
Meetings about WIR happen outside of the CLA review and usually include:
These people help set up the arrangement and make sure it’s right for you.
You can ask for a review or for help from your Personal Advisor at any time.
Supported lodgings provide a family-based environment for young people aged 16+, offering a balance between independence and support. Hosts are trained and supported to provide guidance, emotional support, and practical help. This option is particularly suitable for young people not ready for full independence, but who do not require residential care.
The St David’s Fund is money that’s there to help care experienced young people get the support they need as they move towards adulthood and independent living.
The local authority (your corporate parent) can use this fund to support you in ways that birth parents normally would, a bit like the “Bank of Mum and Dad.”
The fund can help you with things like:
It’s flexible, meaning it can be used in lots of different ways depending on what you need.
Speak with your Social Worker or Personal Advisor and they can assist you to access the fund.
Setting up your first home can be expensive and daunting. For qualifying care experienced young people, the local authority will provide you with a Setting up Home Allowance, which is an allocation of money for you to purchase furniture and essential items for your home. Speak with your Personal Advisor for more information.
Having a driving licence can vastly improve your job prospects and support you to spend time with the people who matter most. The Local Authority is committed in supporting our care experienced young people to learn to drive by providing a comprehensive package of support.
We will fund:
You are required to pass the theory test before the Local Authority will fund driving lessons. In addition, prior to the Local Authority funding driving lessons, you will need to evidence that should you require additional lessons to the 10 being funded by the Local Authority, that you have the financial means to do this, either funding yourself or funded by carers/ family members. Speak to your Personal Advisor for more information.
As a Local Authority, we want to fully support our care experienced young people to succeed with their education and reach their full academic potential as we know this will significantly improve future job prospects and hopefully lead to a good quality of life. We have a comprehensive package of support for care experienced young people attending university:
For a period of up to four years, we fund:
In addition, Merthyr Tydfil Council provide a Higher Education Bursary to its care experienced young people, which is a payment of £2,000, provided either as a one-off payment or paid in instalments.
Speak to your Personal Advisor for more information.
Voices From Care Cymru exists to improve the lives of care experienced children and young people in Wales by being an independent voice for the care community.
The National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) provides support to care leavers.
Support for Care Leavers | Care Leavers Bursary | NYAS
The link below will take you to the Dewis Cymru website that holds information about lots of services across Wales.
The links below will take you to advice about benefits.
Welfare benefits | Sub-topic | GOV.WALES
The links below will take you to housing and homelessness advice.
Housing | Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
01685 725000 – Housing Solutions Team
Support if you are homeless or about to become homeless | GOV.WALES
© Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council