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Care Leavers – Further Finance & Practical Support Information

Money and finances play an important role in of all our lives. The services below are ready to help with practical advice and support:

Orkney Health and Care

Support from the aftercare service will include practical advice around benefits and financial support connected to accommodation and employment. Social work can continue to provide some financial support even where a young person does not want to keep working with the service.

Orkney Islands Council Throughcare / Aftercare Financial Policy

OIC Housing Benefit / Council Tax Exemption

All care leavers are exempt from council tax until age 25 (until 26th birthday) but still have to apply for the exemption.

Carole Graves (Revenues and benefits, OIC)

Contact: revenues@orkney.gov.uk

OIC Student Bursaries

A Further Education (FE) Bursary is an award made by Orkney Islands Council to help a student beyond statutory school leaving age, who is undertaking a qualifying course within or out with Orkney. It is not a loan and does not need to be paid back.

Types of Award

  • Fees only – Students aged 18 and over attending UHI Orkney. No allowance will be paid towards maintenance, travel or course materials.
  • Travel and Materials – Students aged 16 or 17 years old who will be living at home with parents/carers.
  • Full Bursary – All students except those under 18 years old who will be living at home with parents/carers (they should apply for Travel and Materials). A full bursary includes a maintenance allowance as well as travel and materials. The actual amount received is dependent on household income.
  • Care Experienced Bursary – Similar to a full bursary but is not means-tested. This is available to students who are 16 or above at the start of their course and have been looked after by a local authority in the UK at any point in their life. Further information about the eligible categories of care experience is available in the Student Funding Guidance from the ‘Related Downloads’ section of this page.

More information for care experienced students at Student Award Agency Scotland (SAAS)

Connect

Connect works with young people (15-21) who find things particularly challenging at this transition point in life and takes referrals from partner agencies, young people or their carers who feel that more individualised support to build confidence and skills is what may be needed.  

Programmes are strength and interest based and may include small group work, supported volunteering and links with other services and agencies. 

Contact: karen.mack@vaorkney.org.uk

01856 872897

Job Centre Plus

Tailored support for Care Leavers

Contact: kirkwall.scotland@dwp.gov.uk

0300 038 6249

THAW Orkney

Energy advice, including meters, bills and efficiency

Emergency energy support

Property upgrades and grant access

Contact: Info@thaworkney.co.uk

Tel: 01856 878388

Orkney Foodbank

Food parcels to relieve food poverty. Advice and referrals for wider support.

Contact: Kate Brown 

support@orkney.foodbank.org.uk

Tel: 07719293378

Starter Packs

Starter packs provide new and used goods to households who have been in emergency accommodation or in an emergency situation ie. flood, fire. Most of the goods are donated used goods such as cutlery, dishes, but sometimes we buy new ie. quilts.

Application is by referral from Women’s Aid, OHAL, OIC, Foodbank, Restart or other charities. Contact is Alex Bruce, salvation army to collect goods.

Contact: noreenmwright@btinternet.com

Scottish Welfare Fund

Crisis Grant

Community Care Grant

Guidance and Application Form

Blide Trust Housing First for Youth (HF4Y)

Targeted housing support for Care Leavers (includes all aspects of financial support to help to set up your home and manage financial aspects of your tenancy)

Contact: Leah Bliss

Leah@blidetrust.org

Tel : 07516245449

Blide Trust Care Experienced Young People Project

Targeted scaffolding support to Care Leavers and Care Experienced Young people, including financial support and budgeting.

Contact: Jaden Browne

Jaden@blidetrust.org

Tel: 07719732999

Orkney Citizens Advice Bureau

Orkney Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) is independent, and provides free, confidential and impartial advice to anyone living and/or working in the local community. We deliver information, advice and representation covering a wide range of subjects, including:

  • Benefits
  • Debt and money advice
  • Consumer issues
  • Housing issues
  • Neighbour problems
  • Family and personal problems
  • Legal matters including eviction, mortgage repossession and small claims
  • Employment advice
  • Immigration
  • NHS health care

Our services are delivered by a team of trained volunteers supported by specialist staff.

Contact: bureau@orkneycab.casonline.org.uk

01856 875266

Young Scot Card (age 11-25)

Discounts in local shops available with this card

Who Cares? Scotland

Advocacy can offer support to care-experienced young people to:

  • Help them articulate their financial needs
  • Provide assistance to raise issues related to finances, including signposting to relevant services such as Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)
  • Support young people to understand through-care and aftercare finance entitlements.
Women’s Aid

We offer trauma informed support for women and children who have/are experiencing domestic abuse. We have a:

  • Women’s Service
  • Children & Young People’s (CYP) Service
  • Young Women, Family Support practitioners
  • Own My Life facilitators

We undertake risk assessments, safety planning and advocacy alongside offering a range of practical support and emotional care.

We aim to offer support to keep women and their families safer whilst enabling healing and recovery from the short, medium and long term effects of a perpetrators abuse.

Contact: info@womensaidorkney.org.uk

01856 877900

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