Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014

114 Support for category 5 young people and former category 5 young people

(1) The responsible local authority for a category 5 young person must consider whether the conditions in subsection (2) are satisfied in relation to the young person.

(2) The conditions are that—

(a) the young person needs support of a kind which it can give under this section, and

(b) the local authority is satisfied that the person by whom the young person was being looked after does not have the necessary facilities for advising or befriending him or her.

(3) If the conditions are satisfied the local authority must advise and befriend the young person and may give that person support in the manner described in subsection (4).

(4) The support may be given—

(a) in kind;

(b) by contributing to expenses incurred by the young person in living near the place where he or she is, or will be, employed or seeking employment;

(c) by contributing to expenses incurred by the young person in living near the place where he or she is, or will be, receiving education or training;

(d) by making a grant to the young person to enable him or her to meet expenses connected with his or her education or training;

(e) by providing accommodation, if support may not be given in respect of the accommodation under paragraphs (b) to (d);

(f) in cash.

(5) A local authority may also give support in the manner described in paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (4) to a young person who—

(a) is under the age of 25, and

(b) would be a category 5 young person if he or she were under the age of 21.

(6) Where a local authority is giving support in the manner described in subsection (4)(c) or (d) it may disregard any interruption in the young person’s pursuance of a programme of education or training if it is satisfied that the young person will resume the programme as soon as is reasonably practicable.

(7) Where a local authority is satisfied that a young person for whom it may provide support under subsection (4) or (5) is in full-time further or higher education and needs accommodation during a vacation because term-time accommodation is not available, it must—

(a) provide the person with suitable accommodation during the vacation, or

(b) pay the person enough to secure such accommodation.