Leaving Care

If you are a young person leaving care, your personal adviser can provide advice and support in planning where you will live in the future. This forms part of the 'pathway plan' they will have agreed with you looking at all aspects of your future. There are a number of options available, such as supported accommodation, sharing with friends, having your own tenancy and halls of residence if you are going to University. Your personal adviser should also help you with application forms for housing, benefits, and education and/or training courses. They should also help you with learning life skills, like how to budget.

Your personal adviser should stay in contact with you and provide ongoing support and help until you turn 21 or until your 25th birthday if you are still studying full time. If you are 16 or 17 years old and you are under the local authorities care, your social worker will be responsible for finding you somewhere to live until you turn 18.

Leaving Prison

Most prisons now have someone who can provide advice on housing options, and your Probation Officer or Youth Offending Officer, should also be able to help. This can include trying to make sure you don't lose your home when you go into custody, through planning for your release. If you are still serving a sentence of 12 months or less, ‘Through the Gate’ services are available in prison and can advise you how to find housing on release from prison.

NACRO’s Resettlement Advice Service on 0300 123 1999 can advise you on your housing options after leaving prison. It is difficult to get housing on release from prison so staying with friends and family can be a good short-term option.  If relationships with family or friends have broken down, you may need to show them that you have dealt with past issues.

Leaving Hospital

If you do not have anywhere to live after you are being discharged from hospital you should tell the hospital nursing staff as soon as possible.   The hospital discharge team should offer you help and support around your options, and will refer you to other agencies for advice if this is needed.

If you have a home but it needs to be adapted, the hospital will refer you to an Occupational Therapist to assess your needs.   They may assist with specialist equipment, applying for a Disabled Facilities Grant for your property to be adapted and help you get the support you need.

If you are going to be homeless, the council will be able to offer you an appointment for a full assessment of your circumstances please click here to complete our self-referral form on our homelessness advice page. We will work together with you, and any support agencies, to prevent you from becoming homeless.  If your homelessness cannot be prevented we will offer you help to resolve your homelessness situation.