Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 part 11 - continuing care: guidance

14. Aftercare

For whatever reason it ceases, once the Continuing Care placement comes to an end the local authority still has a duty to assess the young person for Aftercare support^[48]. Local authorities have a duty to provide Aftercare support to all young people who leave care after they turn sixteen, until their nineteenth birthday^[49]. Care leavers who are at least nineteen but less than twenty-six years of age may apply to their local authority for Aftercare support^[50].

If the young person is assessed as having eligible needs^[51] which cannot otherwise be met, the local authority is under a duty to provide the young person with such advice, guidance and assistance as it considers necessary for the purposes of meeting those needs (potentially up to their twenty-sixth birthday). ^[52]

If the young person is not found to have eligible needs, a local authority can still provide advice, guidance and assistance as it considers appropriate having regard to the person’s welfare^[53]. A local authority may also provide Aftercare to a care leaver beyond the age of twenty-six years old, but they are not legally required to do so.^[54]