Care and respect and relationships

You are at the center of everything that we do and we want to make sure that you feel safe, happy and cared for. To do this we will make sure that we always treat you with care and respect.

• We will make sure that we will talk to you and write about you in a way that you can understand
• Listen to your views and opinions about your future and make sure you are included in your plans
• Be aspirational for you and your plans for the future
• Celebrate your successes
• You will be supported to move home with dignity, care and respect
• You can access the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) who offer advice, help and support with things like emotional wellbeing and legal advice

We also know that there may be times when young people identify as a gender different to the one they were born with, or identify by a different first name or surname to the one they were given at birth.  We will respect your wishes and pay for you to have your name legally changes by deed poll when you are 18 if this is something that is important to you and how you identify.

We will always check which pronouns you would like us to use when talking with or about you:

• She/Her
• He/Him
• They/Them

We know that when you turn 18 you are likely to have been supported by your social worker for a long time. We will make sure that you have the opportunity to say goodbye to them, if this is something that you want to do.

We also make sure that you have the support of a PA before you turn 16 so that you have the opportunity to build a stable and trusting relationship with them. We will not change your PA unless we have to or unless you want us to. If there is going to be a change we will talk to you about this so that you are prepared and have the opportunity to meet your new PA.

At the point where we are taking a step back we will tell you what our thoughts and memories of you are for you to keep. This will be things like:

• How we first met
• A funny story we share
• Our favourite memory of you
• A wish for your future

We have our own space just for you called THE CORE officially opened in January 2016. This was created because you told us it was needed. You told us you need to somewhere you could meet up with PAs, in a place that was easy to get to, where you would be able to have a brew and make something to eat, do your washing, make private phone calls, have a shower and most importantly provide a place where you can speak to someone in private to get the right support and advice. Over time the CORE has become a community of care experienced young people who offer each other help, advice and guidance. Want to know more about the CORE and the activities that are run speak to your PA.

The CORE is open every Monday between 12 midday to 7.00pm there are three personal advisors who run the session. There are lots of different activities that are on offer which include:

Clothes swap shop – bring old clothes in good condition and swap them for some new clothes, or come and take some clothes if you need them.

Cook and Eat sessions – These take place on the days the CORE is open

Active CORE - Sports sessions every Thursday from 4.00pm at Stanley Park Sports Centre with Andy and Yunus

Wellbeing CORE - This takes place on the 3rd Thursday of each month at The CORE between 3pm and 6pm.

If you have a hobby or interest that means that you can expand your friendship group and support network then we will support you to attend these.

We also have a range of activities that you can access such as:

• Care Leavers Week
• You Rock Awards and the annual Shake it up Conference.
• Check out some of the youth groups that are in Blackpool

More information about the CORE 

"It's not just a Monday anymore - Monday is now Core day and something to look forward to"                                                                                                
T - Care experienced young person

If you are one of our young people who has arrived in the UK without their parents or close family and you want to be supported to attend place's of worship or to join groups that support your religion, please let your PA know.

If you are interested in exploring you heritage we can support you with this. If you would like to do this, ask your PA and they will help you.

Want to know more about particular cultural practice's linked you your heritage, let your PA know and they will support you to do this.

We know, because you have told us, that relationships are important to you and we want to make sure that when you leave our care you have stable, trusting relationships with the people that support you but also those people who are important to you. We want to help you have a group of people that you can turn to if you need help but also people you can tell that you are doing well and celebrate your successes with.

Your PA will take time to really get to know you so that you have a strong, trusting relationship that will mean they can help and support you in the best way possible.

The aim of life long links is to make sure that care experienced children and young people have a positive support network around them to help them during their time in care and when they become adults.

The lifelong links model includes tools and techniques for lifelong links coordinators to use to search for and find family members (known or unknown to the young person) and other adults (such as former foster carers or teachers) who care about the young person. They will then bring you all together to make a life-long support plan, with and for, the young person. Lifelong Links - Family Rights Group.

Speak to your PA for more information and to see if this is something that you could be involved with.

There are a range of services that you can access if you are struggling with the loss of a loved on. Speak to you PA who will help you to access these:

• Cruse Lancashire Contact your local branch - Cruse Bereavement Support
• This booklet has some suggestions to help you Bereavement-Care-Support-Booklet.pdf (adelaidestreetfp.co.uk)
• Linden Centre for end of life care Counselling and support - Trinity Hospice
• After suicide Winston wish Suicide Bereavement Support | Death Through Suicide | Winston's Wish (winstonswish.org)
• Online resources for self care I am a young adult aged 18 to 25 - Grief Encounter

If you have the responsibility for acting as a carer for another person in your life there is lots of support available to you from Blackpool Carers Centre.  They are a local charity that can provides specialist support, respite and outings for unpaid carers from the age of 5 years and their families. They help carers to create friendships, feel less isolated, strengthen their resilience and make happy memories.

Am I a young carer?

See if you could be eligible for support from the Carers Centre.