1. Introducing ‘When I am Ready’ Huw Gwyn Jones Senior Policy Manager Children and Adult Placements Welsh Government

2. What is ‘When I am Ready’? a scheme that enables care leavers to enter into a post-18 living arrangement with their former foster carers when they turn 18 developed by WG in partnership with local government and the third sector to support local authorities meet their new duties under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act will be delivered locally by local authorities in line with national guidelines (statutory from April 2016)

3. Implementation Timeline first consulted upon in 2012 and then pioneered in three local authority areas (Gwynedd, Merthyr and RCT) during 2013-14 Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act passed (January 2014) local schemes developed and implemented during 2015-16 in line with WG guidance issued in March 2015 (non-statutory) Consultation on regulations and code of practice (May - July 2015) local authorities’ new duties come into force April 2016, supported by statutory code of practice (Part 6 of the 2014 Act)

4. Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014  Section 108 requires a local authority to:  ascertain as part of the pathway process whether a looked after child and a foster carer wish to enter a post-18 living arrangement  facilitate this arrangement where they do (provided this is in the young person’s best interests)  regulations will specify the people who have to be informed about WIR and the information to be provided  code of practice relating to Part 6 will provide statutory guidance (‘must’ and ‘should’)

5. What is a ‘post-18 living arrangement’?  a legal term describing a situation where a care leaver who has turned 18 continues to live with his / her former foster carer  not a foster placement, but an arrangement between adults facilitated by the local authority (NB ‘changing status’ – paragraphs 8.1 to 8.3)  different to Supported Lodgings and Shared Lives  part of a wider package of support provided by local authorities to young people leaving care  known in Wales as a ‘When I am Ready’ arrangement

6. What’s in a name? Staying Put Chance to Stay When I am Ready …

7. Aims to provide stability and continuity for young people leaving foster care as they prepare for independent living to improve the life chances of looked after children / care leavers to provide looked after children / care leavers with increased opportunities to exercise choice and control over their lives ensures that care leavers do not experience a sudden disruption to their living arrangements that could impact negatively upon their education, training or employment, or upon their independent living skills

8. Outcome The overall outcome of WIR is that the young person will have the time and support to develop the necessary skills and resilience to make a successful transition to independent living.

9. Who is eligible for ‘When I am Ready’? All looked after children who have been placed in foster care by their local authority and who are approaching 18, provided: the young person was a looked after child living in a foster placement immediately prior to their 18 th birthday the carers were acting as approved foster carers for the young person immediately prior to their 18 th birthday the young person is an ‘eligible’ / ‘category 1’ young person the young person and foster carer both wish to enter WIR and this has been set out in the pathway plan the local authority is satisfied that WIR is not inconsistent with the young person’s well-being a proportion of the allowance paid to the WIR carer will be paid by the local authority regardless of whether the young person is in education, training or employment.

10. However … a clear expectation that the young person will commit to undertaking skills development to prepare for the future this can include full or part-time education, training, employment or volunteering a clear expectation that the WIR carer will support the young person to continue to develop independent living skills should be written into the pathway plan, and into the Living Together Agreement

11. Young people in children’s homes no provision for young people in children’s homes to stay within that setting beyond 18 th birthday regulations will specify that these young people must also be informed about WIR as part of the pathway process the local authority may consider moving the young person into a foster placement which could become sufficiently stable before they turn 18

12. Duration of a WIR arrangement arrangement begins when the young person turns 18, but preparation begins just before 16 th birthday extends until the young person first leaves the arrangement or until the young person reaches 21 st birthday or up to 25 if the young person is completing education or training may be ended by the young person, WIR carer or the local authority

13. Informed choices (1) Regulations will specify that local authorities must provide information to: a looked after child who is in a foster placement, when preparing or reviewing the pathway plan a looked after child who is in a residential children’s home, (ditto) a foster parent who is looking after a fostered child (ditto) a young person who is in a WIR arrangement a WIR carer a parent (unless to do so would put the child at risk of serious harm) the child’s local authority representative, independent visitor or independent reviewing officer any other person to whom the authority considers it needs to provide information in order to promote and safeguard the child’s best interests and well-being.

14. Informed choices (2) The local authority must provide: Information about the local authority’s duties and its WIR policy information for the LAC on eligibility and how to access WIR information for the LAC on the financial implications of WIR information for the LAC on alternatives to WIR information for the foster parent on the financial implications of WIR information about support to WIR young people and their carers information on other sources of information, advice and support, including advocacy services and peer support groups updates on any changes to the WIR policy or practice which occur during the period covered by the pathway plan or during the WIR arrangement

15. What happens next? 2015-16 - local authorities begin to develop and implement WIR Summer 2015 – consultation on draft regulations and code of practice relating to Part 6 of the 2014 Act Autumn 2015 – WG commissions good practice guidance and material for young people and carers (published early 2016) Spring 2016 – two seminars to share good practice April 2016 – the Act / local authorities’ new duties come into force