Care leaver workforce ‘on its knees’ as Personal Advisers face huge caseloads

The workforce supporting young people as they leave care is “on its knees”, according to new research from Become, which has found Personal Advisers (PAs) facing caseloads of up to 46 young people and limited access to accredited training.

Every eligible young person leaving care is allocated a Personal Adviser employed by their local authority. PAs are responsible for helping young people plan for adulthood, access their entitlements, navigate services and receive practical and emotional support.

However, Become’s report, ‘In Young People’s Corner: How Effective Personal Adviser Support Can Help End the Care Cliff’, found that many PAs lack the time, tools and training needed to provide effective support.

The data obtained by Freedom of Information (FOI) requests found that, in 2025, PAs supported an average of 20 young people each, although caseloads varied significantly between local authorities. One in five local authorities had an average caseload of more than 25, while the highest average reported by a single local authority was 36.

The highest individual caseload identified was 46 young people for one PA.

Become also found that there are no national training requirements for Personal Advisers, while 67% of local authorities did not provide PAs with any accredited training or qualifications.

Michael Allen, 20, from Hampshire, is one of the young campaigners who worked with Become on the research. He described experiencing repeated changes of Personal Adviser alongside periods of homelessness and needing support with his finances, emotional wellbeing and future.

“It's two years since I left care and I am now on my 6th Personal Adviser. I've been homeless, needed help emotionally, with my finances and my future. Nobody has shown up for me, and I feel like a burden to my council.

“No PA has gone through my Pathway Plan or visited me in my flat. One PA came to see me when I was living elsewhere, because it was on the way to the pub he said. He couldn't answer any questions relating to my future.

“I've been left to figure everything out alone. It seems support is only available for the most vulnerable and that, as a care-leaver who did decently at school, I am not seen as vulnerable enough to be worth it.”

Become said the findings were particularly concerning given the “care cliff” experienced by thousands of young people each year, when support can reduce sharply as they leave care and are expected to navigate adulthood.

The charity has campaigned to End the Care Cliff since 2020 and is calling on the Department for Education to introduce a national strategy for the leaving care workforce.

Anela Anwar, CEO of Become, said: “For young people leaving care, their Personal Adviser is the one person who's in their corner. Yet our report shows PAs are being expected to provide this essential support without any real investment in their role.”

She said the lack of investment was affecting the ability of PAs to build effective relationships with young people.

“This is simply not good enough. The system is preventing PAs from giving young people the support they need, with consequences for their relationships, self-confidence and outcomes across all areas of their lives.”

Become’s research also found that the Department for Education does not collect, require or hold data on the leaving care workforce, including how many Personal Advisers are employed or how much funding is allocated to Leaving Care services.

The charity obtained information through Freedom of Information requests sent to all 154 tier-one local authorities in England, receiving responses from 140, representing a 91% response rate. It also conducted interviews between April and June 2026 with 46 care-experienced young people, 19 Personal Advisers and 21 Leaving Care Managers.

Become said the research demonstrated the need for greater investment and consistency across the workforce, rather than relying on individual local authorities to determine staffing, training and professional development arrangements.

Anwar said: “The Government must develop and implement a national strategy for the leaving care workforce, so PAs have the skills, knowledge, confidence, and resources to give every young person leaving care the consistent, person-centred support they need.”

The charity is calling for ringfenced funding to recruit, develop and retain enough Personal Advisers, alongside national professional standards and a requirement for PAs to have or work towards a role-specific Level 4 qualification within their first year.

It also wants a maximum caseload of 20 young people per PA, with lower caseloads where needs are higher or young people live a long distance from their local authority.

Other recommendations include national pay and progression routes, stronger professional support and retention measures, improved joint working with specialist services, and better support for young people’s rights and entitlements.

Become is also calling for national data on the workforce to be collected and published, including caseloads, vacancies, staff turnover and changes of Personal Adviser.

The charity wants pathway planning to be made more meaningful, with a greater focus on young people’s aspirations, relationships, wellbeing and security rather than treating plans as a checklist.

The report comes as the Government continues to introduce reforms aimed at improving support for young people leaving care. Become argues that the workforce responsible for delivering much of this support must receive greater attention and investment if reforms are to have a meaningful impact on young people’s experiences.