Who is eligible for a staying put arrangement?

Eligibility for a staying put arrangement is assessed as part of the young person’s pathway planning. The assessment looks at whether the young person meets the legal definition of a care leaver, whether remaining with the former foster family is appropriate, and whether a workable plan can be agreed with the local authority and foster carer.

The young person’s care history

Staying put is intended for a young person who is leaving foster care and needs continued support while moving towards independent adulthood. The local authority will check the young person’s care records, including the length and timing of the foster placement and their status as a care leaver. A young person who was accommodated in residential care, rather than living with foster carers, will usually need a different type of leaving-care support.

The arrangement is not normally an automatic continuation of foster care. Foster care ends when the young person reaches adulthood, and staying put is a separate arrangement with its own plan, expectations and support. The young person’s circumstances should be considered before their eighteenth birthday so there is time to discuss whether staying put is suitable and what needs to be arranged.

The young person’s needs and wishes

The young person’s views are central to the assessment. They should be involved in deciding whether staying with their former foster family would help them develop independence, maintain stability and make progress with their plans. Relevant factors may include:

• their education, employment or training plans;
• their physical or mental health needs;
• their ability to manage day-to-day tasks, with suitable support;
• their relationships with the foster carer and other household members;
• their financial position and access to leaving-care support;
• any risks linked to the household, visitors or the wider community; and
• whether another housing or support option would better meet their needs.

The young person cannot be required to enter a staying put arrangement if they do not want it. Equally, wanting to remain with a former foster family does not by itself create an entitlement to a particular household. The local authority must consider the request properly and explain the reasons for its decision.

The former foster carer’s agreement

A staying put arrangement can only proceed if the former foster carer agrees. The carer’s views, household circumstances and ability to provide a suitable home will be considered. This includes whether everyone in the household understands the proposed arrangement and whether any changes are needed to bedrooms, privacy, household rules or support arrangements.

Foster carers may need clear information about how their role will change after the young person turns 18. The young person becomes an adult tenant or licensee in practical terms, rather than remaining a child in foster care, so the household should agree how decisions, responsibilities, visitors, boundaries and contributions will work. These points should be recorded in the staying put plan.

Suitability and safeguarding checks

The local authority will consider whether the arrangement is safe and suitable for everyone involved. It may review the household’s circumstances, the young person’s needs, any known risks and the support available to the carer. A change in circumstances does not necessarily end eligibility, but it may lead to a review of the plan or consideration of another option.

Suitability also includes practical matters such as accommodation, privacy, household relationships and the availability of appropriate advice. Where the young person has additional needs, the plan should identify who will provide support and how concerns will be raised.

Pathway planning and decision-making

The staying put discussion should form part of the young person’s pathway plan. The plan should set out what the young person wants to achieve, what support is required, who is responsible for providing it and how progress will be reviewed. It should also explain what will happen if the arrangement becomes unsuitable or either party wants it to end.

The local authority, social worker or personal adviser will normally coordinate the assessment. The young person and former foster carer should be given an opportunity to contribute, ask questions and raise concerns. If the request is refused, or if the proposed support does not reflect the young person’s assessed needs, the young person can ask for the decision and available complaints or advocacy routes to be explained.

Financial and practical considerations

Financial arrangements are part of deciding whether staying put is workable, but they do not replace the eligibility assessment. The local authority should explain how the arrangement will be funded, what support the young person may receive as a care leaver, and whether the former foster carer will have any financial responsibilities or consequences. Advice should be sought before agreeing contributions, benefits or changes to household arrangements because individual circumstances differ.

In practice, the strongest applications are based on an early, written plan that reflects the young person’s wishes, the foster carer’s agreement and an assessment of safety, suitability and support. Eligibility should be reviewed if circumstances change, rather than assumed to continue without discussion.