Decision details

All local authorities are required to provide financial support for their care leavers, with additional financial support for those who attend university. Following a review of the financial support that Lancashire County Council provides to care leavers, this report proposes a revision of the funding to those care leavers who attend university.

Currently, the level of funding provided by the County Council is above the statutory requirement. The statutory requirement is to provide a £2,000 bursary for care leavers over three years, and to fund vacation accommodation. 

It is proposed that the authority replaces the current funding support for undergraduate course fees and term-time accommodation fees witha one-off bursary of £3,500 on course completion in addition to meeting our statutory responsibilities.  This proposal has been considered by the Corporate Parenting Board.

County Councillor Matthew Tomlinson, the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools approved this revision of financial support to care leavers attending university and to replace the provision of university course fees and term-time accommodation funding with  the provision of a £3,500 bursary on successful course completion.