New statutory guidance: a stronger focus on preparing care leavers for adulthood
On 30th September 2026, important changes to the Care Leaver Local Offer came into force in England, following the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026.
The changes strengthen the responsibilities placed on Local Authorities when supporting care-experienced young people as they move towards adulthood and independent living.
For us at Get Life Ready, this is an important development because many of the areas now receiving greater statutory focus sit at the heart of what GLR already does.
What has changed?
The updated legislation specifically adds support for the transition to adulthood and independent living to the Local Offer requirements and introduces financial literacy as an explicit area of support.
The accompanying Department for Education statutory guidance goes further, setting out how Local Authorities should support care-experienced young people across areas including:
Accommodation and housing • Financial literacy • Education, training and employment • Health and wellbeing • Relationships • Participation in society
There is also a clear emphasis on helping young people develop enduring relationships, trusted support networks and a sense of belonging.
Importantly, the guidance says support should go beyond simply developing practical skills. It describes a more bespoke, relationship-centred approach that helps young people build the capabilities and connections they need to thrive in adulthood.
Financial literacy is now specifically recognised
One of the most significant changes is the explicit inclusion of financial literacy within the statutory Local Offer.
The guidance identifies areas such as budgeting, rent and household bills, payslips, tax and National Insurance, bank accounts, scams, credit, borrowing and debt, benefits, saving, emergency funds and longer-term financial planning.
It also recognises that financial education can be delivered through programmes, group learning, practical exercises and one-to-one support.
For young people approaching independence, these aren't simply financial lessons. They are everyday skills that can make a real difference to their ability to build and sustain an independent life.
Relationships matter too
Perhaps one of the most encouraging aspects of the new guidance is its recognition that independence shouldn't mean doing everything alone.
Local Authorities are encouraged to help care-experienced young people build and maintain positive relationships and dependable networks of support.
The guidance specifically identifies approaches such as one-to-one mentoring, peer mentoring and support from trusted and consistent adults.
This reflects something we strongly believe at Get Life Ready: knowledge matters, but having someone alongside you while you learn how to apply it can matter just as much.
Where does Get Life Ready fit?
The direction of the new guidance aligns closely with the five areas around which Get Life Ready is structured.
Career Ready supports aspirations, education, training, employability and the transition into work.
Money Ready develops practical financial knowledge and confidence.
Health Ready helps young people understand their physical and emotional wellbeing and how to access support.
Home Ready focuses on the realities of independent living, managing a home and developing the skills needed to sustain it.
Relationship Ready explores healthy relationships, communication, boundaries, trusted adults and positive support networks.
Together, these provide a framework for thinking about adulthood as a whole rather than treating independence as a collection of isolated life skills.
Structured learning. Mentoring. Real-world application.
As an ASDAN registered centre, Get Life Ready can incorporate structured ASDAN learning into a young person's development.
But completing learning activities is only part of our approach.
Through GLR mentoring, we help young people connect that learning to the decisions and situations they will encounter in real life.
It's the difference between knowing what a budget is and understanding how to manage your own money.
Between learning about accommodation and understanding what it actually means to maintain a tenancy.
Between talking about employment and developing the confidence to take the next step towards it.
And between being told where support exists and having a trusted person helping you learn how to access it.
Working alongside the people already supporting young people
The new guidance makes clear that supporting care-experienced young people is not the responsibility of one service alone. Local Authorities are expected to consider support across departments and from relevant partner organisations.
That's exactly how we see the role of GLR.
We aren't here to replace foster carers, social workers, Personal Advisers or existing services.
We're here to work alongside them.
By combining structured learning, dedicated mentoring and practical real-world experiences, our aim is to help turn preparation for adulthood into something young people can understand, engage with and ultimately use.
A welcome change in direction
Every young person approaching adulthood needs more than information.
They need opportunities to practise. They need guidance. They need people they trust. And they need the confidence to make decisions for themselves.
For care-experienced young people, those things can be even more important.
The new statutory guidance places greater emphasis on many of these areas, and we welcome that direction.
Because preparing someone for adulthood shouldn't simply be about asking:
“Can they live independently?”
It should also be about asking:
“Do they have the knowledge, confidence, relationships and support they need to build the life they want?”
At Get Life Ready, that's exactly what we're here to help achieve.
CARE LEAVERS DESERVE BETTER.
Read the Department for Education's Care Leaver Local Offer statutory guidance