For Parents
I’m the parent/carer of a young person age 16 – 18 (Year 12 and 13)
If your child isn’t currently in employment, education or training, we can help you and answer your questions.
I thought my child had to remain in education for two years after school (Raising the participation age)?
The government encourages all young people of this age group to participate in some form of learning, even if that is on the job. However, this often doesn’t work out for all young people. Please do not be afraid to let us know if your child isn’t participating; we are here to help them at their own pace, with whatever is holding them back.
What happens to my Child Benefit if my child leaves education or training?
Your Child Benefit may have stopped. We understand that this is a huge issue during the cost of living crisis. You could get extended Child Benefit for up to 20 weeks if your child is 16 or 17 and is registered with the local Careers Service – which happens to be us here at Positive Steps!
Full child benefit will resume once they return to learning. This can include local training provision, not just colleges and sixth forms.
What if my child is ill, or just not ready to do anything?
At Positive Steps, our staff have decades of experience in working with young people in this situation. Not all young people are in a position to hold down a college place or a job or apprenticeship. This may be due to physical illness, mental health issues, lack of confidence, unwillingness to leave the house and engage with the world – too many reasons to list here. We fully understand this and when we contact you, we are doing so to offer help. We can visit your child at home or in the local community, or in a more anonymous way if that works better. We can talk to them about personal development opportunities to build confidence, offer guidance and support to access mental health services and we can also support you as parents and carers. Nobody knows your child like you do – tell us how we can help them.