Care leaver employment programme for councilsCare toWorkCare leavers become your colleagues.
An employment programme for care-experienced young people aged 16 to 25, starting with your council as corporate parent. One core set-up and two strands: work experience at 16 to 18, and real jobs at 18 to 25. Choose one or both.
Care toWork, in short
What we offer, what we do, what you get and what it is for.
The offer
An employment programme your council runs with us, in two strands: work experience for 16 to 18 year olds, and ring-fenced jobs for 18 to 25 year olds.
What we do
We set it up with you over three months, then run one or both strands: finding employers, training the people who support young people, running the campaign and matching young people to roles.
What you get
A local brand, a comms strategy, a menu of opportunities, the Mentors Toolkit, the Managers Toolkit and a final report, all yours to keep.
What it achieves
Care leavers in work experience and real jobs, starting with your council, and support around them that keeps going after we leave.
One core. Two strands. Choose one or both.
As corporate parent, your council is also one of the biggest employers in your area. Care to Work starts there. We set the programme up with you, then run work experience, real jobs or both, with personal advisers, mentors and managers trained before any young person starts.
What Care toWork sets out to do
Three objectives, for every council we work with.
Opportunities
Work experience placements and ring-fenced jobs, created with employers and starting with your council.
Support
Personal advisers, mentors and managers trained before a young person starts.
Legacy
A programme your council owns and can run again, with the toolkits to do it.
At a glance
An employment programme for care-experienced people, starting with your council.
- Who it’s forCare-experienced young people aged 16 to 25
- Core set-upThree months: stakeholders, three design labs, a local brand and a comms strategy
- Strand 1Work experience at 16 to 18. Eight months, target 10+ placements
- Strand 2Ring-fenced jobs at 18 to 25. Six months, target 5+ roles
- How longNine to eleven months in total
- Who we trainMentors, personal advisers and hiring managers
- Commissioned byCouncils, as corporate parent
- Yours to keepYour brand, the toolkits, the menu of opportunities and the final report
How it works
Nine to eleven months from the first meeting to the final report.
- 1
Core set-up
Three months, shared by both strands.
- Stakeholders brought together
- Three design labs
- A local brand and comms strategy
- 2
Choose your strands
Work experience, real jobs, or both.
- Strand 1 runs for eight months
- Strand 2 runs for six months
- 3
Prepare the people
Everyone who supports young people is trained first.
- Mentors and personal advisers
- Hiring managers
- Toolkits for each
- 4
Go live
Care leavers apply, are matched and start.
- A campaign calling care leavers to apply
- Placements and jobs matched to young people
- 5
Hand over
A final report and governance your council keeps.
- What worked and what to change
- Everything you need to run it again
Explore the two strands
Choose a strand to see the young person’s journey and the nine steps we take behind the scenes. Both strands follow the same nine steps, so they can run side by side.
The young person’s journey
- 1Put forwardYour personal adviser puts you forward
- 2ApplyChoose from the menu of opportunities
- 3Meet your mentorWith your personal adviser there too
- 4Work experienceYour placement with a local employer
- 5SupportThree months of support afterwards
Mentors and personal advisers are trained before step 1. Host employers have pledged before step 2.
What happens behind the scenes: nine steps
Get ready
Each personal adviser names a care leaver looking for work experience.
Which departments and local employers to approach.
Scan the area for employers who could host.
Find the opportunities
An employers event where each pledges an opportunity and a mentor.
Co-design how placements will work.
Prepare the hosts
The Mentors Toolkit and the menu of opportunities.
A training day plus six online modules for mentors and personal advisers.
Go live
A 12-week campaign calling care leavers to apply.
Three months of matching, with mentor and personal adviser sessions.
The young person’s journey
- 1ApplyFor a ring-fenced role
- 2Getting the jobSupport with applying and interviews
- 3Meet hiring managersAt the jobs launch
- 4Start the jobWith a manager trained to support you
- 5Keeping the jobSupport through the first 90 days
Roles are ring-fenced by HR before step 1. Hiring managers are trained before step 3.
What happens behind the scenes: nine steps
Get ready
Each personal adviser names a care leaver ready for a paid role.
Agree the route with HR, and get buy-in from the chief executive.
Prepare the pitch to department directors.
Find the opportunities
Directors agree to create roles, and the council writes the adverts.
Co-design labs with managers on induction and support.
Prepare the hosts
The Managers Toolkit: induction packs and manager training.
Two training sessions for hiring managers.
Go live
Roles go live, with a networking session for personal advisers and managers.
Care leavers start, with managers trained to support them.
What your council keeps
A local brand
Your own name and look for the programme, built with young people.
A comms strategy
How to reach care leavers, employers and staff.
A menu of opportunities
The placements and roles on offer, in one place.
The Mentors Toolkit
A workbook and online modules for mentors.
The Managers Toolkit
Induction packs and training for hiring managers.
A final report
What happened, what worked and what to do next.
Previous work
Employment work with councils and employers.
Suffolk County Council: The Family Business
From corporate parenting to community parenting. Over 60 people at the employer launch, and up to 40 young people qualified through the Skills Academy.
Read the case study
PwC: New World, New Skills
Opening the doors of a global firm to care leavers. 30 care leavers from four councils spent the day at PwC’s London office.
Read the case study
Questions commissioners ask
Who is it for?
Care-experienced young people aged 16 to 25. Strand 1 is work experience for 16 to 18 year olds. Strand 2 is paid, ring-fenced jobs for 18 to 25 year olds.
Do we have to buy both strands?
No. Choose one or both. Both run on the same three-month core set-up.
How long does it take?
Nine to eleven months in total, including the set-up.
Are the jobs real?
Yes. Strand 2 roles are paid and ring-fenced by HR, starting inside your council.
Who supports young people?
Mentors and personal advisers are trained before work experience starts, and hiring managers are trained before care leavers start in their jobs. Young people get three months of support after a placement, and support through the first 90 days of a job.
Are the numbers guaranteed?
No. 10 or more placements and 5 or more jobs are targets we set and work towards with you.
What do we keep?
Your local brand, comms strategy, menu of opportunities, the Mentors Toolkit, the Managers Toolkit and the final report.
Download the Care to Work brochure
Choose the brochure that fits what your council wants to offer: work experience, apprenticeships and jobs, or both strands together.
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Talk to us about Care to Work
Tell us about your service and what you need, and we’ll reply within 3 working days.