I didn’t end up moving at Christmas. That was good. So many things are changing I needed everyone to speak to each other for to do the right things with me like I think teach me how to manage my cleaning and my money, but I needed a financial guardian angel.

Throughcare and aftercare are relevant for anyone who is an adult in the life of a young person, because you can have a great impact on their life.

If you work in throughcare and aftercare, you are probably very familiar with those terms. If not, you still might have heard them – but you might equally have not. Nowadays, many local authorities and other organisations choose to refer to the support during transitions with updated terms, like ‘leaving care support’. This is a good adaptation as it can make it more accessible. However it is important to have a shared language in order to communicate well between services. This guide is not proposing what that shared language should be, but rather we are highlighting that your service should be easily searchable and accessible.

In a way the support during transitions needs to be demystified – effective support is first and foremost young person-centred.

Throughcare describes the support young people should receive before they leave care to prepare them for living an autonomous life. The term itself is a bit outdated, but the concept is as relevant as ever. Young people have a right to good support that sets them up for a good and happy life. Leaving care should in no way be a cliff edge.

Since April 2015, any young person who ceases to be looked after by a local authority on or after their 16th birthday has been eligible for aftercare services. The 2014 Act also amended Section 29(2) of the 1995 Act to provide care leavers with the opportunity to receive aftercare up to (and including) the age of 25.

Since April 2015 care leavers between the ages of 19 and 25 have been eligible to request ‘advice, guidance and assistance’ from their local authority. (Under the 1995 Act the upper age limit to which care leavers could request aftercare support was 21.) Eligibility to aftercare applies equally to all care leavers, regardless of their placement type while ‘looked after’ by the local authority.

Eligible needs are defined in the as:

• financial support to meet essential accommodation and maintenance costs, such as travel and other necessary living expenses;
• support, in the form of information or advice, to assist the person to access education, training, employment, leisure and skills-related opportunities; and
• insofar as not covered by sub-paragraph (b), support, in the form of information or advice, relating to the person's wellbeing.

The support that you should receive will be different depending on the role that you have. But even if you do not have legal obligations, you should be aware of the impact that the interactions you have with a young person can have.

If you support young people transitioning out of care, it is important that you reflect on the quality of the support you provide. Consider the following prompts for reflection

• Do you regularly consult with young people and allow them to shape the service?
• Do you take part in focus groups or practice reflections with other workers to learn about new and different ways of doing things?
• Are you ambitious for the young people you are support?
• What defines the support you provide? Is it financial considerations, legal obligations or the needs of the young person? It is normal that is a balance between several factors but reflecting on these can make sure it’s the right balance.

The Promise is Scotland’s commitment to keep the findings of the Independent Care Review (2020). It recognises that young people need lasting, loving relationships, not just services that “end” when they turn 18 and includes a plan for action to 2030.

New legislation in the form of the Children (Care,Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill has implications for formally extending aftercare, including allowing those who left care before 16 to reapply for aftercare.

Staf offer support and training to all those involved in the care of young people with care experience. You can find out more here.