Post 16 team supporting young people
Supporting young people leaving care in developing learning and work-based skills.
This page provides resources for professionals.
Our Care Leavers Local Offer provides information designed for care leavers.
We also provide additional guidance on choices at 16, including education, employment and training.
If you’re a care leaver aged 21–25 returning to education or training and no longer have a PA, please contact your former PA or their team for support.
What we do
The aim of the Virtual School Post 16 team is to improve outcomes for as many of our care leavers aged 16-25 as possible. We do this through:
- direct work with young people
- driving improvements in practice amongst professionals and providers.
Young people aged 16-25 (including those who are unaccompanied asylum seekers, without EHCPs and not in education) are offered a service from the Virtual School post-16 team.
Our service offers a spectrum of support according to need that can be defined as follows.
- Strategic arms-length monitoring and reporting, working through other key professionals and adults, supporting, challenging and building capacity.
- Specific one-off interventions to remove barriers and enable progress.
- 1-2-1 work to enable progress towards sustainable education, employment or training (EET) outcomes.
How we work
The team supports young people’s aspirations, skills and achievements. We work directly with Oxfordshire Children We Care For and Care Leavers aged 16-25 as well as:
- colleges
- schools
- training providers
- social care
- foster carers
- supported housing providers
- edge of care services (REOC)
- employers
We offer careers advice, support and guidance for all our young people as well as support where needed with CVs, applications and interview preparation.
We want to achieve the best possible young person-centered and appropriate Education, Employment and Training (EET) outcomes for our young people. To enable this, we advise support and challenge education providers and support services.
September guarantee
All young people leaving year 11 and 12 are entitled to a suitable learning offer for the following September. They do not have to accept the offer.
Post 16 personal education plans (PEP)
The PEP is an evolving record of achievement and support built around the needs of the student. The purpose is to encourage student engagement with key professionals and adults who can help accelerate catch up and progress.
The PEP should reflect the importance of a personalised approach to learning that:
- meets the identified educational needs of the student
- raises aspirations
- builds life chances
Please see Post 16 PEP Flowchart (Please link the attached flowchart document to the wording 'POST 16 PEP Flowchart')
Responsibilities
The PEP is the joint responsibility of the relevant local authority and the education provider. Social workers or Leaving Care Personal Assistants (PAs), Carers, Virtual School Caseholders, Designated Teachers and other relevant professionals will need to work together.
Everyone involved in the PEP process should involve the student at all stages (according to understanding and ability) and, wherever appropriate, relevant family members.
Contact the Virtual school for further information about this support .