Your help and support offer

As your corporate parent your safety is very important to us. We will do everything that we can to support you to feel safe and secure where you live and in your local community. If where you live feels unsafe tell us as soon as possible. We can then work with you and others to address the issues or help you to move. Our advice would be never to let strangers into your home and if you feel in danger, contact the police straightaway.

We understand that at times it may be difficult for you to share your worries and concerns with us. We will provide you with guidance and practical advice on how to keep yourself practically and emotionally safe. We may, with your consent, refer you to a counsellor or mentor to support you. At times you may not ‘see’ the harm and a conversation may be able to support you to see this.

Safe Families

We work with Safe Families UK. This is a service that helps you to build a network of positive people around you. All help is provided by compassionate volunteers from the area that you live in (not just Birmingham). The volunteers themselves have been through difficult times and this is what motivates them to support others. What does support look like?

Support with Safe Families is flexible and designed with and for you, it might be:

• Someone who meets up for a coffee to chat about you and your life, to give advice and encouragement.
• Someone who remembers your birthday, invites you to things - maybe inviting you for Sunday lunch!
• Someone who drops you a text or is on the phone if you need some help or advice.
• Someone who helps fill in forms, or helps you get to appointments or interviews.
• It can last for different amounts of time. But our hope is always to build supportive friendships that work for you.

Police and custody

• If you are under 25 years of age and find yourself in a police station in the West Midlands, the police should ask you if you are a care leaver. If they don’t, please tell them so they can contact us. We will then contact you to offer you support.
• If you are a former relevant care leaver and in custody, we will continue to offer you support up to the age of 25yrs. If, however, you do not want to be supported after you are 21yrs, then please let your PA know. We have close working relationships with local prisons and resettlement officers.
• There is also financial support available for positive activities and to help you once you are released. See Section 10 - Your Money for more information.
• As you near release from custody we will explore with you your housing options. You will have a release plan that will be incorporated into your pathway plan so that everyone is clear what needs to happen to help you to make sure you can do well on your release.

Lifelong links

• We will help you keep in contact or resume contact with relatives, friends and others who are important to you.
• This is supported by the Lifelong Links service. See Section 8 - (emotional) health for more information.