Your health

Find information from Coram Voice to help determine if you are a care leaver if you are unsure.

It can be very complicated to know exactly what support you should be getting. We have tried to make things a bit easier for you, by creating these categories:

Group A - relevant care leaver

You are Group A if you:

• are 16 or 17 years old
• were in care on or after your 16th birthday
• were in care for at least 13 weeks since you were 14
• are no longer in care and this happened before you turned 18

Group B - former relevant care leaver

You are Group B if you:

• are over 18
• were in care on or after your 16th birthday
• were in care for at least 13 weeks since you were 14
• were in care when you turned 18
• are under 21

Group C -  qualifying care leavers

You are Group C if you:

• are aged between 16-25
• were looked-after by Children’s Services for a period of time between your 16th and 18th birthday
• were not looked-after by Children’s Services for at least 13 weeks, since the age of 14, or if you were, you were not looked-after) for at least 1 day after your 16th birthday

Nursing team

You will have a dedicated nurse from the Children in Care nursing team. They will support you with your health until you are 18 years old.

Health passport

Before you turn 18 the nurse from the Children in Care team will email you your health passport. 

Your health passport has a summary of your health information including:

• your health history since childhood
• any immunisations you've had
• any chronic illnesses
• any surgery or emergency admissions
• any other information relevant to your future health

Speak to your Personal Adviser if you think you have not received one.

Access to health services

Your social worker or Personal Adviser can help you:

• register with health services such as a GP (doctor), dentist and optician when you move house
• get support to attend hospital or doctor's appointments
• access specialist substance misuse services in Dorset
• find information and support to access local sexual health services such as a GP, pharmacies and sexual health clinics

Prescriptions

Prescriptions are free if you are 16 or 17 and you're in full-time education.

You have to pay for your prescriptions if you're not in full-time education. You may need to use your personal allowance to pay for your prescriptions. You may be able to complete an HC1 form to get help with these costs.

Mental health and wellbeing

We will pay for a year's membership of 'Ask Jan' from the Rees Foundation. Membership includes lots of benefits such as:

• a 24-hour counselling helpline
• free face-to-face counselling sessions
• access to the My Possible Self app which aims to help improve your wellbeing
• the national Max Card discount scheme

Your social worker or Personal Adviser can also:

• support you to move from children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to adult-based services, for example the community mental health team (CMHT)
• give you information about a variety of wellbeing services that are available locally

Find organisations who can help you if you need mental health or wellbeing support.

Health and relationships

Your Child in Care Nurse, social worker or Personal Adviser can offer you the support and advice on a range of health issues including:

• diet
• contraception
• mental health and wellbeing
• how to keep yourself fit and well

Find information about health and relationships on the NHS website.

Period products

We want to stop period poverty. We can give you free sanitary products if you need them.

Ask your Personal Adviser for more information. Or complete our form to get help with sanitary products for care leavers.

Maternity and parenting support

Getting ready to be a parent

To help you get ready for being a parent, your social worker or Personal Adviser will help you attend support groups and maybe buy you a book on preparing for a baby if you think this would help you. Your social worker or Personal Adviser can also give you up to £100 to help you buy comfortable clothes and bras if you're pregnant.

If you're working you'll get maternity pay from your employer when you take time off work to have your baby.

If you're not working you may be able to claim Universal Credit if you're a single person and you're more than 29 weeks pregnant.

We'd like to welcome your new baby into the world by visiting you, checking how you are and bringing along a gift.

If you're already a parent we will take an interest in your child/ren and support you to do the best for them. If you need help getting childcare we can tell you about the services that can help you do this.

Healthy Start vouchers

If you're pregnant or have children under the age of 4 you may be able to apply for Healthy Start vouchers. This means you could get free vouchers or payments every 4 weeks to spend on:

• cow's milk
• fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables
• infant formula milk
• fresh, dried and tinned pulses

You could also get free Healthy Start vitamins.

If you're claiming Universal Credit talk to your job coach about:

• which benefits you may be able to claim
• how you can access a Sure Start maternity grant that will help you buy essential items for your baby

Talk with your social worker or Personal Adviser about how you can access a Sure Start maternity grant to help you buy essential items for your baby.

Help with dental check-ups and prescriptions during maternity

While you're pregnant and during the first year of your baby's life you do not have to pay for:

• dental check-ups
• prescriptions

You must make sure your midwife or doctor completes and signs the maternity exemption certificate FW8 form to be eligible for these exemptions. Speak to your midwife or doctor to see if they can complete this certificate online.

Health passport

Before you turn 18 the nurse from the Children in Care team will email you your health passport. 

Your health passport has a summary of your health information including:

• your health history since childhood
• any immunisations you've had
• any chronic illnesses
• any surgery or emergency admissions
• current medications
• referrals
• any other information relevant to your future health

Speak to your Personal Adviser if you think you have not received one.

Access health services

Your Personal Adviser can help you:

• register with health services such as a GP (doctor), dentist and optician when you move house
• get support to attend hospital or doctor's appointments
• access specialist substance misuse services in Dorset
• find information and support to access local sexual health services such as a GP, pharmacies and sexual health clinics

Prescriptions

Once you're 18 years old you have to start paying for your:

• prescriptions
• dentist check-ups
• eye tests

You're exempt from these charges if you're claiming Universal Credit.

If you're working and are on a low income you can complete an HC1 form to get help with these costs.

Mental health and wellbeing

We will pay for a year's membership of 'Ask Jan' from the Rees Foundation. Membership includes lots of benefits such as:

• a 24-hour counselling helpline
• free face-to-face counselling sessions
• access to the My Possible Self app which aims to help improve your wellbeing
• the national Max Card discount scheme

Your Personal Adviser can also:

• support you to move from children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to adult-based services, for example the community mental health team (CMHT)
• give you information about a variety of wellbeing services that are available locally

Find organisations who can help you if you need mental health or wellbeing support.

Health and relationships

Your Personal Adviser can offer you the support of a specialist nurse who works with care leavers to give support and advice on a range of health issues including:

• diet
• contraception
• mental health and wellbeing
• how to keep yourself fit and well

Find information about health and relationships on the NHS website.

Period products

We want to stop period poverty. We can give you free sanitary products if you need them.

Ask your Personal Adviser for more information. Or complete our form to get help with sanitary products for care leavers.

Maternity and parenting support

Getting ready to be a parent

To help you get ready for being a parent, your social worker or Personal Adviser will help you attend support groups and maybe buy you a book on preparing for a baby if you think this would help you. We can help you buy comfortable clothes and bras if you're pregnant. This can be up to £100.

If you're working you'll get maternity pay from your employer when you take time off work to have your baby.

We'd like to welcome your new baby into the world by visiting you, checking how you are and bringing along a gift.

If you're already a parent we will take an interest in your child/ren and support you to do the best for them. If you need help getting childcare we can tell you about the services that can help you do this.  

Healthy Start vouchers

If you're pregnant or have children under the age of 4 you may be able to apply for Healthy Start vouchers. This means you could get free vouchers or payments every 4 weeks to spend on:

• cow's milk
• fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables
• infant formula milk
• fresh, dried and tinned pulses

You could also get free Healthy Start vitamins.

If you're claiming Universal Credit talk to your job coach about:

• which benefits you may be able to claim
• how you can access a Sure Start maternity grant that will help you buy essential items for your baby

Help with dental check-ups and prescriptions during maternity

While you're pregnant and during the first year of your baby's life you do not have to pay for:

• dental check-ups
• prescriptions

You must make sure your midwife or doctor completes and signs the maternity exemption certificate FW8 form to be eligible for these exemptions. Speak to your midwife or doctor to see if they can complete this certificate online.

Access health services

Our team can advise you how to:

• register with health services such as a GP (doctor), dentist and optician when you move house
• get support to attend hospital or doctor's appointments
• access specialist substance misuse services in Dorset
• access local sexual health services such as a GP, pharmacies and sexual health clinics

Prescriptions

You do not have to pay for prescriptions if you're 16 or 17 and you're in full-time education.

Once you're 18 years old you have to start paying for:

• prescriptions
• dental check-ups
• eye tests

You're exempt from these charges if you're claiming Universal Credit.

You have to pay for your prescriptions if you're not in full-time education, or if you're working and you're on a low income.

If you do have to pay for prescriptions but you're on a low income you can complete an HC1 form to get help with these costs.

Mental health and wellbeing

Our team can advise you how to:

• move from children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to adult-based services, for example the community mental health team (CMHT)
• access a variety of wellbeing services that are available locally

Find organisations who can help you if you need mental health or wellbeing support.

Health and relationships

Our team can advise you on a range of health issues including:

• diet
• contraception
• mental health and wellbeing
• how to keep yourself fit and well

Find information about health and relationships on the NHS website.

Period products

We want to stop period poverty. We can give you free sanitary products if you need them.

Ask your Personal Adviser for more information. Or complete our form to get help with sanitary products for care leavers.

Maternity support

Getting ready to be a parent

If you're working you'll get maternity pay from your employer when you take time off work to have your baby.

If you're not working you may be able to claim Universal Credit if you're a single person and you're more than 29 weeks pregnant.

Healthy Start vouchers

If you're pregnant or have children under the age of 4 you may be able to apply for Healthy Start vouchers. This means you could get free vouchers or payments every 4 weeks to spend on:

• cow's milk
• fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables
• infant formula milk
• fresh, dried and tinned pulses

You could also get free Healthy Start vitamins.

If you're claiming Universal Credit talk to your job coach about:

• which benefits you may be able to claim
• how you can access a Sure Start maternity grant that will help you buy essential items for your baby

Help with dental check-ups and prescriptions during maternity

While you're pregnant and during the first year of your baby's life you do not have to pay for:

• dental check-ups
• prescriptions

You must make sure your midwife or doctor completes and signs the maternity exemption certificate FW8 form to be eligible for these exemptions. Speak to your midwife or doctor to see if they can complete this certificate online.

If you're already a parent, we will take an interest in your child/ren and support you to do the best for them.  If you need help accessing childcare, we can tell you about the services that can help you do this.