Young adults, and care leavers, have lots of decisions to make – particularly in relation to housing and employment issues. They will have experienced years of significant decisions being made for them
Voting
Help young people register to vote at: The Electoral Commission. Discuss political parties and candidates with them and how they relate to the issues that matter for your young people.
Personal information
Help young people keep important documents safe by setting up a folder/file in which their birth certificate, passport, NI number, NHS number etc can be stored.
Learning to drive
Being able to drive can be a crucial skill for young people who don’t live in cities with good transport links, and can open employment opportunities. If your young person is thinking about learning to drive:
- Get them to research what is involved in the learning process, including passing the theory test before they spend lots of money on practical lessons.
- Discuss with them the financial aspects – how will they afford lessons? When they’ve passed can they afford to buy and run a car, including insurance which is very expensive for new drivers?
- Help them find out whether their Local Authority helps with the cost of driving lessons. If they need a driving licence for employment, and they can evidence that they will be able to afford to buy and run a car, they might be able to access a grant from the Spark Foundation.
- Discuss road safety with young people, including the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs – and the current concerns around texting while driving.
Housing decisions
Here are some information sheets and tips for young people who are looking at moving on to their own independent accommodation:
As young people prepare to move into their own home, talk with them about the things they will want/need in their home and what these will cost. Talk to them about the Setting up Home Allowance that they’ll get from their Local Authority and whether this will be enough money. If it isn’t, encourage them to use their savings to get the extra things that they want.
Employment
Young people need advice with regard to finding employment, which can be a requirement of any Universal Credit claim. Failure to actively seek work can result in benefit sanctions, which should always be avoided. Here is some general advice:
Talk with young people about what it means to be a good employee, including punctuality, appropriate clothing and behaviour, and leaving a job on good terms.
Discuss ways in which you can find a job, including word of mouth, newspaper listings, online job search websites, sending out CVs to companies of interest. Talk with young people about the reasons why people work (financial and social benefits) and what types of job they might be interested in. Part-time jobs for teenagers are an excellent way to learn about the workplace and build experience for their CV.
This is a good time to watch the Barclays Life Skills videos again on YouTube. Here’s an example:
