Accommodation

Most people leave care when they are 16, 17 or 18. This is much younger than people who haven’t been in care, who usually leave home when they are 22 or 23. Many young people who leave care when they are 16 regret it very quickly. Once the initial excitement of the freedom has disappeared they soon realise that with their freedom comes a lot of pressure such as loneliness and financial worries. Speak to your leaving care worker or social worker about leaving care. They can talk to you about all of the things you will need to think about: budgeting, claiming benefits, paying bills, cooking, tenancy agreements, living alone, etc. Do not feel pressured into leaving care by your friends or by workers.

Accommodation options:

Family or friends

Not everyone will be able to consider this but many young people will have family or friends who they could go and stay with. The advantage of living with family or friends is that they probably know you well and will be able to give you appropriate support and advice. Even if you can’t actually live with them, living nearby or within easy reach is well worth thinking about as you can then pop in for a bit of a chat if feeling lonely or need some support.

Supported Lodgings

Supported lodgings is a little bit like foster care in that you live with somebody in their home. This may be a single person, a couple or a family. You will always have your own room and share the living room and other facilities with others in the house. You will pay money to them for food but then you will not have to pay anything towards rent or bills. There will be house rules which will be decided before you move in, and  will cover things like what time you have to be in by, having friends visit, whether you can smoke, etc.  The person that you go to live with will help you with problems you may have and will try to help you learn the things you need to know before moving on to more independent living.

“I have been living at my supported lodgings for a year and a few months. It was scary at first not knowing the people, where things were kept, or who the people were that were coming in the house. It took a long time to settle in but all I wanted to do was decorate my bedroom and make it my own. I bought quite a lot of stuff to go in it, which I will be taking to my home when I move. Once I had decorated my room I felt much more comfortable because I knew this part of the house was mine, and it was somewhere to escape to when I wanted to be alone. I used to feel a bit ignorant towards the guests and friends of the family that I live with when I didn’t speak to them or kept conversations short, but how I see it now is that you don’t have to put on an act and pretend to want to hold a conversation or let them know everything about you because it is not them you live with. I was also a bit paranoid of what people thought of me, but that is something you’ll find out over time or maybe the feeling will go away after you’ve lived there a while. Living with someone else in their home can be frustrating because you can’t express yourself fully. You always feel you’ve got to be aware of where you are so this makes it hard to disagree with what they’re saying or what they do. The lady that I live with allows me to have my say and I feel safe enough to say what is on my mind. She includes me in everything which is also a bit scary, though my advice is tell the person you live with how you feel because you live together so you should all feel safe together. I really like where I am living; it’s safe, there’s always food, hot water and warmth so I feel safe and protected. It’s always hard living with someone else but if your lucky like me to live with someone who genuinely cares, let them help you and things will be much easier.”

Supported Shared Housing

There are a variety of supported shared houses that may be able to offer you accommodation. They differ in various ways: they may be single sex or mixed, just for young people or for all ages, and the staff may be there all the time or just visit occasionally. In all of these houses you will have your own room that locks, but will usually share kitchens, bathrooms and TV lounge. Rules in each house differ about such things as what time you need to be in for, whether you can drink, whether you can have visitors etc. In most houses you will have a key worker who will be able to give you help and advice, and help you to learn skills you need in order to live in your own flat.

The Foyer

Foyers are a type of Supported Housing which also offer support, training opportunities and help to find permanent accommodation. In order to live at the Foyer you have to be willing to do training or education and the workers at the Foyer will be there to help you find something that you want to do. People who do not get involved in doing some kind of training or course after they move in will not be allowed to stay.

“I first moved in the Foyer in July 2000. When I first moved in I found it quite difficult living on my own but I soon met people and the staff were quite helpful. I soon started to depend on myself and also got help off my sisters who are a big part in my life. My aftercare worker helped me a great amount as well. There are plenty of courses and discussion groups to get involved in and there is also a resource room that Dave controls. He is very helpful and you can talk to him and he understands us. Since I moved in the Foyer I have successfully started at college and am doing very well.”

Supported Tenancy

Various organisations offer tenancies to young people who need some support. Usually this means that you get your own flat but you have to agree to allow a support worker to visit you on a regular basis so that they can make sure that you are managing okay and help you sort out any problems you may be having. Sometimes these tenancies are temporary, for say two years and then you move on, or they may be permanent with the support worker visiting for as long as you need and then withdrawing so that your tenancy becomes an ordinary tenancy.

Your own flat

“I moved into my own flat after living in Manchester Foyer for about 18 months. I’ve been in care a long time since I was 6 years old. I’ve been in foster care and children’s homes but when I left care in 1999 I was in foster care. I was growing out of living there and wanted some freedom. I didn’t want my own flat at the time and the Foyer was the only place I thought sounded okay. After 18 months though I felt too restricted by it again. I got my own flat through Barnardo’s with a housing association. I was looking forward to having the freedom of my own place without staff on my case all the time and having friends round. I’ve been in the flat for 8 months and it’s okay but not always. My flat is cold and it’s expensive to heat. The bills cost a lot with water, electric, gas and phone to pay out, as well as buying my food. Sometimes I don’t get any time to myself, my mates come round all the time. They come and make a mess then get off and I have to tidy up. It gets on top and I can’t be bothered doing it. It’s hard to keep everything going sometimes. My benefits run out as soon as I get them. At the end of the day though I’m glad to have my own space so for me it’s been the right move."

Council tenancy

Your council will have flats and houses all around the area they cover. When you sign up for a council tenancy you will be given an introductory tenancy. This will last for one year. If you manage your tenancy well for this year and you do not cause any problems to your neighbours, deliberately cause damage or run up rent arrears you will be given a secure tenancy. If you do not conduct your tenancy properly in the first year it is fairly easy for the council to evict you or not renew your tenancy. If this happens you will be placed on the Rehousing Review List which means that the council will not let you have another tenancy until you can show them that you are able to take on the responsibility of another tenancy, in practice this is very difficult and takes a lot of time.

Housing Association tenancies

Housing associations are organisations that own and manage properties for rent. Although they are not the Council, Housing Associations do not make a profit and having a Housing Association tenancy is a lot like having a council tenancy.

Private landlord

These are tenancies that are owned by people who rent them out to make a profit. Usually you will be given an Assured Short Hold Tenancy which lasts for six months. This means that you can stay there for six months providing you do not break the tenancy agreement, but after that the landlord can ask you to leave or they can renew it. This also means that you have to stay there for six months and if you don’t you are liable for the rent for the six-month period.

Rents in private tenancies are usually higher than for council or housing association properties and this means that often you will not get all of the rent paid by benefits. Before you sign for a private tenancy you should have a pre-tenancy determination done. This means completing a form which is then sent to housing benefits who will arrange a visit to the property by a rent officer who will determine how much rent will be paid for it. If the property has more bedrooms that you need you will not get all of the housing benefit unless the rent is very low. Most private landlords will ask for a deposit before you move in. This will vary but is often equivalent to a month’s rent. This should be returned to you when you leave providing you have not caused any damage and your rent is up-to-date. If you have to pay a deposit ask the landlord for an inventory. This is a list of what furniture and goods are in the property. Check this list with your aftercare worker and make sure all the goods on the list are in the flat and that none of them are damaged. If things are missing or damaged get the landlord to alter the inventory accordingly.  

Other possibilites

There may also be supported accommodation available for young women who are pregnant/have children or specialist places for young people trying to kick drugs or alcohol, or who have specific health needs.