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3.13.7 Planning the Housing Transition at 18 years

RELATED CHAPTER

See also Leaving Care Procedure: Section 15, Staying Put.


Planning the Housing Transition at 18 years

  1. Leaving care are responsible for paying for the housing and support costs of care leavers aged 16 and 17. At 18, care leavers become eligible for housing benefit and this may affect the type of housing they can live;
  2. When a care leavers turns 16, they become eligible to go onto the social housing register for permanent housing in the district where they have a local connection. (The applicant will need to be seen by the local district or city council that s/he has a local connection with, e.g. the district from which they were taken into care. They will conduct a homelessness Assessment and then issue a formal notice of acceptance);
  3. Six months before a care leaver turns 18, the Leaving Care Personal Advisor should meet with the young person to discuss all the different housing options that are available post 18.  This discussion should include Supported Lodgings, Post 18 Foster Care, Supported Housing Projects and Private Rented Accommodation with Floating Support.  Further advice on housing options can be sought from the Joint Housing Team or the relevant city or district council;
  4. Once a decision on the housing route has been agreed with the care leaver a Young Persons Housing Assessment (YPHA) should be fully completed with the Young Person. The YPHA acts a referral form for all the young people's supported housing providers in Oxfordshire. It is essential that accurate information is entered on the YPHA, including information about any substance misuse, offending or aggressive behaviour.  This information should not exclude a care leaver from a housing project but will enable an accurate assessment of a young person's suitability for a project, risks to be identified and appropriate support put in place;
  5. Once the YPHA has been completed, it should be submitted to the relevant Housing provider(s) for young people. None of the Housing providers will provide immediate housing and many have long waiting lists, so the earlier the application the better, the plan is for a young person to access appropriate housing in a smooth manner;
  6. If private rented accommodation is the preferred option then information about what is available can be sought from the Joint Housing Team or the City/District housing department.  This may provide a more immediate housing solution.  Floating support can also be put in place to assist this move;
  7. A copy of the YPHA should be forwarded to the Accommodation Officer/Housing Development Manager to be recorded and monitored;
  8. Three months prior to the care leaver turning 18, they will be discussed at a housing transition meeting involving Leaving Care Senior Practitioners, the Joint Housing Team and the City/District Housing department.  This meeting will identify any outstanding issues and try to ensure a smooth transition at 18;
  9. Where accommodation has not been secured at least two weeks before the care leaver's 18th birthday, the YPHA should be forwarded by the Leaving Care PA to the District/City housing options officer and an options appointment made for the Young Person. The Leaving Care Personal Advisor should attend this appointment with the young person;
  10. Where there is no option for the Young Person to remain in their housing or move into supported housing or private rented upon turning 18, the district/city council have the responsibility to take a homeless application and place the care leaver in temporary accommodation. This may be in B&B, in a hostel or in unsupported temporary housing.  None of these options are ideal which is why it is important to begin planning for the housing transition as early as possible;
  11. When a young person moves out of care the correct forms to cover accommodation costs and personal allowance need to be completed, if they are relevant young people under the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 and eligible for this financial assistance.

District Contact number

Cherwell District Council

01295 - 252535

Oxford City Council

01865  - 252858

South Oxfordshire District Council

01491 - 823353

Vale of The White Horse D.C

01235 - 536001

West Oxfordshire District Council

01993 - 770044

Housing for Care Leavers in Oxford

Click here for the Housing for Care Leavers in Oxford Flowchart

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