It’s a big step when you leave care and one of the most asked questions is ‘where will I live’. On your 18th birthday you are legally an adult. We want to reassure you that we will make sure that more into suitable and safe accommodation.
When you reach 18 years old you may want to stay living with your foster carer. This is known as ‘staying put’. You can stay with your foster carer until you are 21yrs old. It is important that both you and your foster carer are in full agreement before any plans are made.
You will have a large say on where you live when you leave our care. It is really important that you talk about your options with your social worker or PA.
At the age of 17 and 6 months you will have a housing needs assessment which is undertaken by our specialist housing needs officer. You are entitled to the highest priority status if you apply for Stoke on Trent Council housing. Your housing needs officer will discuss the options available to you and take the necessary steps to secure accommodation.
Types of accomodation
There are several types of accomodations which include:
- Independent living means living on your own in a rented property and having your own tenancy agreement. A tenancy agreement is a contract between you and the landlord which gives both you and your landlord certain rights.
- Supported lodges are a bit like foster care. People and families in the community known as hosts offer to rent a room to a young person. Young people stay with their hosts for a short period f time to help them gain skills or confidence to move onto independent living. A plan of action will be discussed between you, your worker and the host and this will be clearly written in your pathway plan
- Specialist accommodation is for young people who may have a disability or need support with mental health problems. The accommodation could be self-contained flats with support available 24 hours a day. If this applies to you, your PA and social worker will discuss the different types of specialist accommodation to help you find the best one for you.
- Shared accommodation, if you don’t feel ready to live alone, there is is the option of sharing accommodation with other young people, this means that you will have your own bedroom but will share other living areas like the living room, kitchen and bathroom. You may just share with one person or a number of people. Shared housing includes a named support worker who will offer practical and emotional support whilst you are living there.
- North Staff YMCA youth campus is regarded as one of the best YMCA centres in the country. The YMCA is a great option for young people who do not wish to live alone and prefer to move into independence gradually, with lots of support.
- Going back to live with your family. Depending on the reasons why you came to care, you might consider returning to live with your mother, father or another family member of your family when you leave care. If this is something you are considering it is important to talk to your social worker or PA and the members of your family that you are planning to live with.
The house project
House Projects are co-designed with young people. They work together to develop relationships and learn skills that enable them to live successful adult lives. They have a choice in where they live and are involved in getting their property ready to become their home. Stoke-on-Trent House Project is represented by young people at the Care Leavers National Movement (CLNM) to ensure that a young person’s voice is at the heart of all decision making. They are joined by representatives from all other LHPs. Your social worker will speak to you about your options which will include the House Project.
Risk of homelessness
If you are worried that you may be at risk of becoming homeless, speak to your PA straightaway.