Maidenhead & Windsor

The Maidenhead Royal Borough is blazing a pioneering trail to provide care for young care leavers with the launch of an innovative scheme early next month.

Windsor and Maidenhead and Slough, in partnership with youth charity The Prince's Trust, have developed the mentoring scheme for young people leaving care to help them make the transition from being "looked after" to living independently.

As the Maidenhead Royal Borough this week supports National Care Leavers' Week (October 23 – 29), plans are well underway for matching young people with mentors.

The mentoring scheme – run by The Prince's Trust and sponsored by Connexions Berkshire – trains volunteer mentors to provide both practical and emotional support, and in particular a listening ear, to young people aged 16 – 21 who are leaving care to live independently.

Mentors meet with the young people on a weekly basis for up to a year to provide help with all aspects of leaving care – from providing positive role models, nurturing confidence building and teaching social skills to helping with job applications and employment, cooking for themselves and budgeting their finances.

Cllr Kathy Newbound, lead member for Maidenhead children' and young people's services, said: "For many young people who have spent much of their lives in care, the prospect of going out into the big wide world to live independently can be a real challenge.

"The mentoring scheme bridges that gap and helps young people to develop the skills which will ease their path to independent living and help them to realise their potential.

"Here in the Royal Borough we are very keen to continue consulting and working in partnership with young people leaving care to involve them in providing services which support and meet their needs – and two young people who have left care are members of the Corporate Parenting Forum which is responsible for providing just those services.

"Three other young people who have recently left care are currently being supported at university – a real achievement for the young people involved as the very nature of being in care can sometimes lead to disruptions in education."

For more information about becoming a mentor for care leavers in the Royal Borough contact The Prince's Trust on 01753 502234. Details can also be found at www.princes-trust.org.uk

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead