There are a range of charities and community organisations that can offer additional support alongside your Personal Adviser and the help available from us.
Your Personal Adviser can help you access any of these organisations and discuss which services may be most helpful for you. Our Care Leaver Team remains available to support you up to age 25 and beyond through the Lifelong Offer.
Friends of Dorset Care Leavers is a local charity dedicated to supporting Dorset care leavers by reducing isolation, promoting wellbeing and helping young people build positive relationships and support networks.
Support available:
- social activities and events
- practical support
- peer support
- opportunities to build confidence and connections
Become is the national charity for children in care and care leavers.
Support available:
- free advice and advocacy
- education, training and employment support
- housing and homelessness advice
- help understanding your rights and entitlements
Contact
Care advice line: 0800 023 2033
The Care Leavers Association is a national care-experienced led charity supporting care leavers of all ages.
Support available:
- advice and advocacy
- criminal justice support
- support accessing care records
- campaigning and peer networks
- health and wellbeing projects
- peer support and opportunities to connect with other care-experienced people
Contact
Telephone: 0161 826 0214
Email: [email protected]
The Rees Foundation provides lifelong support to adults who have experienced foster care or residential care.
Support available:
- advice and guidance for care-experienced adults of all ages
- peer support groups and opportunities to build lifelong networks
- emotional wellbeing support
- assistance during times of crisis
- training and employment opportunities
- access 2 your care records support
- financial assistance and grants
Contact
Telephone: 0330 094 5645
Email: [email protected]
Care Leavers National Movement is a national network led by care-experienced young people working to improve services and create opportunities for young people to influence change.
Support available:
- national campaigns
- health, wellbeing and participation
- peer networks and participation
- practical life support
- financial and independence support
- digital inclusion
- housing
- education, employment and training
National Network for the Education of Care Leavers is a charity focused on improving educational opportunities for care-experienced young people.
Support available:
- information about university support
- apprenticeship opportunities
- further education guidance
- advice on educational entitlements
- financial and practical support
- wellbeing signposting
Help and Kindness is a Dorset-wide directory and support service helping people find local help and community resources.
Support available:
- information and advice (local support services) local groups, clubs, activities, volunteering opportunities and food bank
- health and wellbeing support and signposting
- financial and practical support
- advice services
Contact
Telephone: 01305 595 958
The National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) is an independent children's rights charity that supports children, young people, and care leavers to have their voices heard and their rights upheld. NYAS provides a range of services specifically designed to support care-experienced young people as they transition into adulthood.
Support available:
- independent advocacy
- Side by Side Care Leaver programme
- national safety net helpline
- rights and entitlements information
- financial Support
- opportunity to participate in campaigns
Contact
Telephone: 0808 808 1001
The Care Experience Directory is a UK-wide online resource that connects care-experienced children, young people and adults with trusted services, support, opportunities and community networks in one accessible place. It was created by a care-experienced person to make it easier to find reliable information and support without having to navigate multiple websites or referral routes.
Supports available:
- information and signposting to key services
- housing and accommodation
- education, training and apprenticeships
- employment and employability
- mental health and wellbeing
- health and life skills
- peer support and community groups
- financial support and grants
- legal rights and advocacy
- crisis support and helpline
The Mix is a free and confidential support for under-25s, including one-to-one counselling, peer support groups, crisis support, mental health information and online community support.
Supports available:
- free one-to-one counselling
- crisis support, including access to urgent mental health support
- Mental health and emotional wellbeing support
- advice on housing, money, education, employment and relationships
- peer support groups and online communities
- information, self-help resources and wellbeing tools for under-25s
Crisis text support
Text 85258 for urgent mental health support.
Metal Health UK is a national charity that provides information, advice, resources and programmes to support people with their mental health and wellbeing. Care-experienced young people and care leavers can access mental health information, practical guidance, support with the link between money and mental health, and programmes designed to build resilience, confidence and emotional wellbeing. The charity also provides access to local support through its network of member charities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Support available:
- mental health information and advice
- young people's mental health programmes
- resources to support emotional wellbeing and resilience
- access to peer and community-based support through member charities
- mental health and money advice service
- practical tools and information to help manage mental health challenges
Shout 85258 is a free, confidential 24/7 text messaging service providing immediate mental health support to anyone in crisis or struggling to cope. Care-experienced young people and adults can text SHOUT to 85258 at any time to receive support from a trained mental health volunteer.
Support available:
- free 24/7 mental health crisis support by text. Immediate emotional support and signposting to further help where appropriate
- support for anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, abuse, bullying, loneliness and emotional distress
- confidential and anonymous conversations
- available to children, young people and adults across the UK
Contact
Text: SHOUT to 85258 (free from UK mobile networks).
Dorchester Poverty Action is a local charity providing emergency financial assistance to people living in the Dorchester area who are experiencing hardship. Care leavers may be eligible for support through a referral from their Personal Advisor or another professional working with them.
Support available:
- emergency grants for individuals and families in financial crisis
- local poverty relief and crisis support
- support accessed through referrals from recognised agencies and professionals
- information, advocacy and community action to address poverty
Contact
Telephone: 07340 011 901
Email: [email protected]
The Will Houghton Foundation supports care-experienced young people by funding education and development programmes that help them achieve their potential. Through partnerships with organisations such as Become and university support schemes, the Foundation helps care leavers access higher education, training, financial support and opportunities to succeed.
Support available:
- funds programmes that help care leavers access and succeed in higher and further education
- supports Become's Propel programme, which provides specialist advice and guidance to care leavers on university and college applications, student finance, accommodation and educational opportunities
- supports university care leaver programmes, including financial assistance and bursaries for students with care experience
- invests in projects that improve life chances, confidence, skills and opportunities for vulnerable young people
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Sir Samuel Mico's Charities provides grants to young people under 25 in the Weymouth and Portland area to support education, training and apprenticeships. Funding may be available towards course fees, living costs, books, equipment and tools, helping care leavers develop skills, qualifications and career opportunities.
Support available:
- educational course fees
- living costs while studying or training
- books, equipment and tools needed for education or apprenticeships
- support for apprenticeships and career development
- financial assistance to help young people progress into higher education, training or employment
Contact
Telephone: 01305 548007
Email: [email protected]
Buttle UK provides grants to children and young people, including care-experienced young adults facing financial hardship or crisis. Funding may be available for essential household items, furniture, technology, education and training costs, and other items that support wellbeing, stability and independence. Applications are made through a supporting professional such as a Personal Advisor or Social Worker.
Support available:
- beds, bedding and essential household items
- school, college or training-related costs.
- furniture and white goods
- clothing essentials
- laptops, IT equipment and educational resources
- access to recreational and extracurricular activities that support wellbeing and social inclusion
Contact
Telephone: 020 7828 7311
Email: [email protected]
Barnardo's provides practical, emotional, and advocacy support for care-experienced young people. Services may include help with accommodation, independent living skills, education, employment, mental health and wellbeing, and building positive support networks. Barnardo's aims to ensure that care leavers have the tools, confidence, and opportunities needed to thrive as independent adults.
Support available:
- finding and maintaining suitable accommodation, including supported lodgings
- emotional wellbeing, counselling, and mental health support
- developing independent living skills, budgeting, and managing finances
- support to reduce loneliness and isolation through social connections and peer support
- accessing education, training, and employment opportunities
- advice, guidance, and advocacy to help young people understand their rights and entitlements
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Turn2us is a national charity that helps people facing financial hardship access welfare benefits, charitable grants, and financial support. While Turn2us does not generally provide grants directly, it offers tools and advice to help care leavers identify and access financial assistance they may be entitled to.
Supports available
- free benefits information and guidance
- access to the grants search tool, which identifies charitable grants that may be available based on an individual's circumstances
- access to an online benefits calculator to check entitlements. Information about Universal Credit and other benefits available to care leavers
- guidance on managing financial difficulties and accessing support services
Capstone Care Leavers Trust is a national charity that provides grants, advice, and guidance to care-experienced young people aged 17 to 25 across England and Wales. The Trust aims to reduce social exclusion, promote independence, and improve life chances for care leavers.
Support available:
- grants for essential household items
- funding for training courses and personal development opportunities
- funding for further and higher education, including tuition fees, study materials, and equipment
- assistance with driving lessons where these will improve employment opportunities and independence
- support to purchase laptops and technology needed for education or training
- advice and guidance to help young people navigate adulthood and achieve their goals
Contact
Email: [email protected]
The Spark Foundation is a national charity supporting young people in care and care leavers in England and Wales under 26 years of age. Its aim is to help care-experienced young people access the same opportunities as their peers by providing grants for practical items, education, employment, and independent living needs.
Support available:
- grants of up to £700 for care-experienced young people
- equipment and tools needed for employment, apprenticeships, and training
- essential household items such as fridges, washing machines, furniture, and other items needed when setting up home
- driving lessons where these will support employment opportunities and independence
- laptops, educational equipment, and study-related costs
- recreational, sporting, and wellbeing activities that improve quality of life and social inclusion
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Citizens Advice is a free, independent, and confidential advice service that helps people understand their rights, resolve problems, and access support. For care leavers, Citizens Advice can provide practical guidance on finances, benefits, housing, employment, debt, immigration, consumer issues, and legal rights.
Support available:
- benefits advice and support with claims, including Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- immigration and asylum advice where appropriate
- debt advice, budgeting, and managing financial difficulties
- consumer and legal rights advice
- housing advice, including homelessness, tenancy rights, and housing disputes
- support to access other specialist services and organisations
- employment advice, including workplace rights and job-related issues
Contact
Adviceline (England): 0800 144 8848
Shelter is the UK's leading housing and homelessness charity. It provides free, expert, and independent advice to people experiencing housing difficulties, including care leavers who are at risk of homelessness, facing eviction, struggling with housing problems, or need support understanding their housing right.
Support available:
- advice on housing rights and entitlements for care leavers
- advice on tenancy rights, eviction, rent arrears, and housing disputes
- support for young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness
- support with understanding Pathway Plans, Personal Adviser support, and local authority duties towards care leavers
- guidance on making a homelessness application to a local authority
- guidance on accommodation options, including Staying Put and Supported Lodgings
- information about emergency accommodation and priority need status
Contact
Shelter helpline: 0808 800 4444
Migrant Help is a national charity that provides independent advice, guidance, and practical support to people seeking asylum, refugees, survivors of trafficking, and other vulnerable migrants in the UK. It can be particularly helpful for care leavers who have immigration, asylum, or refugee-related needs.
Support available:
- advice and support throughout the asylum process
- information, guidance, and signposting to specialist legal, housing, education, health, and welfare services
- applications for asylum support, accommodation, and financial assistance
- support for victims of modern slavery and human trafficking
- assistance with issues relating to asylum accommodation
- interpretation and multilingual support services
- support for refugees moving on from asylum accommodation and rebuilding their lives in the UK
Contact
Free 24/7 Asylum helpline: 0808 801 0503
Webchat and self-service portal available through the Migrant Help website.
The British Red Cross provides practical, emotional, and humanitarian support to vulnerable people across the UK. For care-experienced young people, particularly refugees, asylum seekers, unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people (UASC), and those with limited support networks, the charity can offer advice, casework, emergency assistance, and referrals to specialist services.
Support Available:
- emergency practical support during times of crisis
- family reunion support for refugees separated from relatives overseas
- one-to-one casework and personalised support planning
- assistance for survivors of trafficking and exploitation
- advice, information, and signposting to housing, welfare, health, and community services
- emotional wellbeing support and help to reduce isolation
- support for refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants
- multilingual support and interpretation services