Personal advisers supporting individuals leaving care are struggling with big caseloads, with some responsible for more than 40 young people.
When young people leave care, sometimes as young as 16, they’re usually assigned a personal adviser, someone employed by their local council to support them with issues including money, housing, education and work.
However, new research from the charity Become shows there aren’t enough advisers to ensure young people are receive the support they need.
One adviser was responsible for 46 young people in 2025, while the typical caseload was over 20.
In one in five councils, advisers were supporting more than 25 children, with the figure reaching 36 in one local authority.
As well as highlighting heavy caseloads, the report also outlines 67% of councils failed to provide personal advisers with accredited training or qualifications.
The charity also said the Department for Education doesn’t collect data on the number of advisers employed or how much councils spend on services for young people leaving care.
Become describes the reduction in support some young people experience after leaving care as the ‘care cliff’.
‘Nobody has shown up for me’
Michael Allen, 20, from Hampshire, has had six personal advisers since leaving care two years ago.
He said: ‘It’s two years since I left care and I am now on my 6th personal adviser (PA). I’ve been homeless, needed help emotionally, with my finances and my future. Nobody has shown up for me and I feel like a burden to my council.
‘No PA has gone through my Pathway Plan or visited me in my flat. One PA came to see me when I was living elsewhere because it was on the way to the pub he said. He couldn’t answer any questions relating to my future.’
Become is now calling for advisers to have no more than 20 young people on their caseload at one time, alongside national training requirements.
Anela Anwar, chief executive of the charity, said: ‘For young people leaving care, their personal adviser is the one person who’s in their corner. Yet our report shows PAs are being expected to provide this essential support without any real investment in their role.
‘This is simply not good enough. The system is preventing PAs from giving young people the support they need, with consequences for their relationships, self-confidence and outcomes across all areas of their lives.’
Image: Uday Mittal/UnSplash
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