Brandon’s plan

Brandon, aged 17, lives in Western Sydney and has anxiety issues and a mild cognitive impairment. Once he turns 18, Brandon will need to engage with some adult medical and mental health services and an employment readiness program.

Brandon is unsure if he will be able to go to the appointments as he is anxious about meeting new people and often sees professionals he doesn’t know as authority figures but usually settles down once initial contact has been established.

He is also unsure if he will be able to answer questions about his medical history accurately.

The Guidelines allow costs to be met for casework directly related to supporting a person who has left care if it is required to implement their leaving care plan.

The recommended process is generally:

• Estimated caseworker cost included in the financial plan
• Invoice submitted for actual cost after the plan has been approved and the casework activity completed
• The expense is recorded in ChildStory under the expenditure type to which the activity is mostly related.

Measure of Wellbeing – Social / Living Skills and Peer Relationship

This example demonstrates how caseworker costs for implementation may be included in the plan. If there is a cost for any of the services that Brandon is attending, e.g. counselling sessions, they can also be included.

Practice point – All leaving care plans must be finalised before a young person turns 18 for the supports they need to be available immediately and for the Minister’s office to review the adequacy of the plan and send a letter to the young person before their birthday. Consider approval pathways and timeframes when calculating progress.

Note that the plan being ‘finalised’ refers to the point at which a person leaves care. Amendments should be expected after this as circumstances change until 25 years of age.