Local authorities must spell out care leavers' entitlements by way of a "local offer" from next year as stipulated in the Children and Social Work Act.
But Ofsted's most recent social care annual report suggests many may struggle to provide a genuinely beneficial offer.
Out of 99 councils inspected, 14 were found to be "inadequate" in terms of the experiences and progress of their care leavers, 49 were rated as "requires improvement", 34 were rated "good" and just two were judged to be "outstanding".
"I don't think most local authorities are geared up to provide a good local offer," says Ed Nixon, a residential social work consultant involved with the Every Child Leaving Care Matters campaign. "Frankly, care leavers are not high profile. Of all the priorities that councils have, my understanding is that care leavers are often further down their pile."
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