Skip to main content
Rate this page
Log in / Register
Luton Borough Council

  1. Home
  2. Health and social care
  3. Children and family services
  4. Children’s services
  5. Children's social care
  6. Leaving care

Education, training and employment

This is what you need to know about our responsibilities, regarding your education, apprenticeships, training and employment.

Education

We may assist you in identifying financial support and resources to enable you to undertake post-graduate study.

The Open University offers a Care Experienced Scholarship, providing care leavers with the opportunity to gain a free undergraduate qualification, subject to eligibility criteria.

University accommodation support

We believe that being an estranged young person or care leaver shouldn’t mean being left behind. The Unite Foundation gives us a rent-free, year-round #HomeAtUniversity scholarship, which means you can go to university, stay at university and finish your course, just like anybody else.

With the Unite Foundation scholarship, you’ll have accommodation and bills covered for up to 3 years at university.

Find out more about the scholarship

Training and apprenticeships

We'll be able to contribute to some of your living expenses and apprenticeship-related expenses whilst you're training.

We'll support you to find out what apprenticeships there are in your area and help you apply for them.

We've been asked to approve 'ring fencing' for all L2 and L3 roles for care leavers, so that only care leavers have access to apply for these roles for a week. These ring fenced roles are for all roles, not just apprenticeships. Care leavers who meet the critical criteria for a role at L2 and L3 are guaranteed an interview under the GIS scheme. Feedback is given to applicants so that they can improve, regardless of the result.

Luton Adult Learning (part of Luton Council) runs funded Passport To Employment sessions to support residents to apply for, interview for and gain employment. The Connect 2 Work sessions are run to support care leavers into long-term employment. More information can be found on the Luton Adult Learning website.

The Apprenticeship team are very happy to support care leavers to access apprenticeships. They share all apprenticeship roles with the Care Leavers team so that they can go onto the padlet. 

We'll still expect you to claim benefits if your income is low. We'll include these benefits in any calculation we make for additional financial support.

Since August 2018, care leavers have been boosted by a new £1,000 bursary payment if they choose to do an apprenticeship. For more information, see apprenticeships care leavers’ bursary guidance on GOV.UK or speak to your personal adviser.

The care leaver bursary was increased to £3,000 in August 2023. This is paid in three instalments but isn't counted for UC, tax or NI.

For more information about apprenticeships, please contact the team: [email protected]

Employment

We may consider providing you with support by:

  • buying the items you need directly
  • in exceptional circumstances, giving you cash that will help your ability to access employment opportunities - for example getting to interviews and, if needed, interview clothing
  • signposting you to other agencies who may be able to support you financially

Your personal adviser will support you to understand different ways to look for employment and help you complete your CV and application.

Care leavers will be guaranteed an interview for applications for Luton Council jobs within pay ranges L1a to L3. This is on the conditions that you declare yourself a care leaver and you meet the essential criteria for the role.

In addition, virtual schools offer a drop-in service where you can seek advice and support from experienced and qualified careers advisors.

Luton Council Passport to Employment programme

To support the Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS) available to our care leavers, Luton Adult Learning is able to provide employment skills support via the Passport to Employment programme. The programme has already proven to be effective in helping care leavers prepare for, and perform at, interviews.

This ‘wrap-around’ service means that unsuccessful applicants can review their performance, based on feedback and experience, helping them to become stronger candidates for future opportunities. 

Please encourage any care leaver who's actively looking for employment and skills opportunities to take up their free place on Passport to Employment. Courses run throughout the year.

Contact the programme lead at Luton Adult Learning to book places. The contact details:

Preparation for adulthood workshops

We' are planning to hold workshops in the near future. Please speak to your personal advisor for more info.

There's a ‘Transition to adulthood' booklet, that your social worker and/or PA will go through with you. 

Inspiring success stories of Luton care leavers

Discover the powerful journeys of Luton care leavers who've overcome challenges to achieve professional success. Their stories highlight perseverance, ambition and the impact of support and opportunity.

Further information

To get more information about education, training and apprenticeships, employment and your entitlements, contact your personal adviser.

If you’re not sure what your status is, you can contact or text your personal adviser and they’ll confirm it.

Additional support

Sparks Foundation grants

The Sparks Foundation provides grants of amounts up to £700 which will either:

  • help to advance the education or vocational training or employability of children and young people under the age of 26
  • provide those who are leaving care, or have recently left care, with basic items, facilities or equipment (where eligible)

The overall aim is to give this group the same chance as those who have not been in care.

See the Spark Foundation grants policy.

Capstone Care Leavers Trust

Individual grants are most likely to be for amounts between £300 and £2,000, but we'll consider awards of up to £3,000 specifically in relation to higher education fees or training courses:

  • that are not funded by Student Finance England or the local authority
  • where all other educational grant, bursary or subsidy entitlements have been exhausted, dependant upon your individual circumstances

This could also include tools or equipment that are essential for the course.

See how Capstone Care Leavers Trust can help.

The Rees Foundation

The Rees Foundation aims to help care-experienced people who find they're in financial crisis. You can apply for a small crisis payment to help out in an emergency for things like:

  • gas
  • electric
  • essential travel costs

If short of food, the trust may be able to provide grocery gift vouchers.

More about crisis payments from The Rees Foundation.

Based on assessed need and outlined in your pathway plan, rent deposit will be funded to secure accommodation for independent living. If you haven't received this prior to age 21 then this financial support can be accessed up to age 25.

Information, advice and guidance from personal adviser

This is how we support young people who are allocated on our case load and who are NEET (not in education, employment or training).

IAG (information, advice and guidance) is available to all LAC (looked after children) aged 16 and over. We have a direct link with social worker cases in the 16+ and 18+ teams. We'll:

  • offer intensive one to one support to help move the young person from NEET to education, employment or training
  • offer IAG to young people on education, employment and training pathways
  • support young people to apply for college and training, make applications and follow up support for interviews to secure a place
  • support young people to seek work and apply for training opportunities such as apprenticeships, study programmes and other PDO’s such as Princes Trust
  • support young people to look for work, create a CV and help apply for jobs
  • offer advice and support on interview skills and to try and secure work
  • support young people to look at all options available to them when they're NEET
  • encourage young people to gain skills through volunteering and work placements
  • liaise with multi agencies to support young people when they're NEET, YOT (Youth Offending Team), social services, semi independent placement or foster carers
  • liaise with college and training providers
  • monitor progress and try and prevent young people becoming NEET
  • attend post 16 PEP’S (personal education plan) to ensure support is in place and young people are supported in an education setting to help achieve qualifications
  • attend LAC reviews where appropriate
  • involvement with EHC plan (education, health and care plan) – attending reviews and education meetings
  • taking young people to open days and interviews
  • attending GP appointments with young people
  • travel out of county to support young people and offer IAG
  • link with other organisations to support young people

Useful information

© 2025 Luton Council, Town Hall, Luton LU1 2BQ