Additional support can be provided to you if:
You are a young parent
When expecting a baby you can attend our young parents group which will help you to prepare for becoming a parent.
We have a youth worker who can work directly with you on a 1 to 1 basis or you can attend our weekly parenting group with your child. This is a relaxed group held at the hub and local childrens centres and is an opportunity to talk with other parents, enjoy activities and seek advice and guidance if needed.
Being a parent can be difficult and we want to make sure that you get the support you need when you are expecting a child and when you become a parent. We will provide an additional £200 to your setting up home allowance to help get your home set up for you and your child. We will also help you with advice on how to register your child’s birth and claim any extra benefits you may be entitled to.
You are in custody
We understand that for some young people there are difficulties and challenges which can result in negative outcomes. If you are a Milton Keynes care experienced young person in custody, we will maintain contact with you offering visits, phone calls and emails. We can work with your offender manager to ensure your needs are being met and we will help you prepare for your release in the community ensuring relevant services are also included.
We know how important it is to maintain contact with positive important people whilst in custody and if appropriate we can support you with a weekly allowance to maintain phone credit. This is detailed in the financial policy.
When we are worried about your safety
Although we hope there isn’t, there may be a time where we are worried that you are at risk from serious harm and in these circumstances we want to do what we can to ensure that you have the right support services in place. As an adult we respect that you have the right to make decisions we may not agree with but if we are significantly concerned that you may come to harm then we will complete an adult safeguarding referral. We will ensure that we tell you about this and encourage you to be part of the process. If an effective safety plan can not be made between you and your PA then we will consider holding an ‘Inter Agency Risk Management’ meeting. This is something we would initially seek your consent to hold and invite you to. The purpose of this meeting is to ensure all services who can support you are supporting you effectively and to devise an effective safety plan. You can attend this meeting if you wish to. Further information on the process can be found here Adults at Risk - Interagency Risk Management Protocol.pdf (mktogether.co.uk)
When you turn 21 years old
After turning 21 years old some young people decide they no longer require a pathway plan to be regularly updated or such regular visits from an allocated PA. If this is the case for you then you may decide you no longer want a PA at 21. This is ok and will be respected. We will continue to contact you once a year unless you request we stop, to remind you of the support we can offer, see how you are and share our contact details. We will also send you a news letter detailing service updates, social events, advice and guidance every 6 months. But you don’t need to wait for us to get in touch. If you need help contact us.
For young people who wish to continue having a PA and pathway plan until they are 25, this is ok also. We will encourage you to be actively involved in your pathway planning, working towards goals and accessing support identified.
You are aged over 25
We understand that your needs do not suddenly disappear or change when you turn 25 and you may need somewhere to turn to for support. Once you turn 25 you can still contact us for information, advice and guidance either via your former PA if you are still in touch with them, or via our duty service. You will no longer have an allocated worker, although you may still be in touch with someone who was, there will be no more pathway plans and we won’t chase you, but we will be here if you need us.