Support for 16 to 24-year-olds
Housing
Accommodation options
We know that every young person's journey is different, and there is no single accommodation option that is right for everyone.
As part of your Pathway Plan, we will work with you to identify the accommodation option that best meets your needs, wishes and aspirations as you move towards independence.
We will work with you to make sure your accommodation is suitable for your needs and located in an area where you feel safe, supported and connected to the people and services that are important to you.
We will always try to take your wishes, feelings, relationships, education, employment and support networks into account when discussing accommodation options with you.
Accommodation options available to Care Leavers may include:
- Staying Put arrangements with foster carers
- Staying Close support following residential care
- supported accommodation
- living with family or friends where appropriate
- social housing
- private rented accommodation
All young people will also be offered the opportunity to experience independent living through our semi-independent flats. These provide young people with their own accommodation alongside staffing support, with the level of support determined by individual need rather than a standard 24/7 model.
Your Personal Advisor (PA) will discuss these options with you and help you understand which accommodation pathway may be most suitable for your circumstances.
Preparing for your first home
Moving into your first home is a big step and we want to make sure you feel as prepared and confident as possible before making that move.
As part of your Pathway Plan, we will work with you to identify the accommodation option that is right for you and help you prepare for independent living. Everyone develops independence skills at their own pace, and we will make sure the support available reflects your individual needs.
To help you prepare for independent living, support may include:
- budgeting and managing money
- understanding rent, bills and household costs
- shopping, cooking and meal planning
- looking after your home
- understanding tenancy agreements and your responsibilities as a tenant
- managing appointments and accessing services
- building confidence and independent living skills
We work with DePaul to provide support through the Step Forward programme. Step Forward offers practical support to help young people prepare for independent living, manage a tenancy, develop life skills and access education, employment or training opportunities. We also offer 'Ready, Steady, Rent' which helps young people understand what is involved in managing their own home and provides practical advice on becoming tenancy ready. Your PA can tell you more about both programmes and how to access them.
Where appropriate, some young people may have the opportunity to move into accommodation with additional support before taking on a tenancy of their own. This allows them to continue building confidence and independence in a supported environment.
We can also provide practical support when you move into your first home, including help with setting up your accommodation, accessing essential household items and settling into your new environment.
Keeping your home
We know that moving into your own home is a big achievement, but we also understand that living independently can sometimes feel challenging.
As your Corporate Parents, we want to help you succeed in your accommodation and will work with you to keep your home for as long as possible. If you are finding things difficult, it is important to ask for help early. We would much rather help you resolve a problem before it becomes a crisis.
Support is available if you are:
- struggling to pay your rent or household bills
- finding it difficult to manage your tenancy
- having problems with neighbours or other people living in your accommodation
- worried about your accommodation or where you are living
- finding it difficult to cope because of your health or wellbeing
- at risk of losing your accommodation
Your Personal Advisor can work with Housing Options and other support services to help you access the right support. This may include:
- budgeting and financial support
- help with accessing benefits
- practical tenancy support
- mediation and support to resolve disagreements
- advice about moving to alternative accommodation where appropriate
- referrals to specialist support services
We understand that everyone makes mistakes and that living independently takes time to learn. If things start to go wrong, we will work with you to find solutions and help you keep your home wherever possible.
If you are worried about your accommodation, it is important to ask for help as early as possible. The sooner we know something is wrong, the more support we can provide.
You should speak to your Personal Advisor if you:
- are struggling to pay your rent or household bills
- think you might lose your accommodation
- are having problems with your landlord or accommodation provider
- are sofa surfing or staying temporarily with friends or family
- are worried about your safety where you are living
- think you may become homeless
Your Personal Advisor can work with Housing Options and other support services to help you find solutions and access support.
Depending on your circumstances, support may include:
- housing advice and guidance
- help with benefits and managing housing costs
- tenancy support
- mediation and relationship support
- supported accommodation
- emergency accommodation where needed
- referrals to specialist support services
If you are sleeping rough, sofa surfing, worried about losing your accommodation or have nowhere safe to stay, you can contact Housing Options directly for advice and support. Housing Options can help you understand your housing options, prevent homelessness and, where necessary, help you access emergency accommodation and other housing support services.
You can also speak to your Personal Advisor, who will work with Housing Options and other services to make sure you receive the support you need.
We are committed to helping Care Leavers keep their accommodation wherever possible, preventing homelessness and making sure support is available as early as possible if things start to go wrong.
If you're worried about your accommodation, don't wait until things reach crisis point before asking for help.
We know that leaving custody can be a challenging time and that having somewhere safe and stable to live is an important part of successfully returning to your community.
If you are in custody, your Personal Advisor will continue to support you and will work with you to plan for your release. Your accommodation needs should be discussed as early as possible to give everyone enough time to explore your options and put support in place before you leave custody.
Your Personal Advisor will work with Housing Options, probation services, the Youth Justice Service, prison staff and other professionals involved in your support to help make sure accommodation and support are planned before your release.
Before you leave custody, we will work with you to:
- understand where you would like to live
- explore suitable accommodation options
- identify any support you may need
- help you access financial support and benefits
- plan for education, training or employment opportunities
- make sure you know who to contact for support after your release
Before you leave custody, we will work with you to try to make sure you have somewhere suitable to live when you are released. We don't want you leaving custody without somewhere safe to stay, so planning for accommodation will start as early as possible.
Once you are released, your Personal Advisor will continue to support you. They can help you settle into your accommodation, access benefits, manage your tenancy and connect with any other support services you may need.
Moving into your own home comes with new responsibilities and costs. We want to make sure you understand what support is available and help you feel confident managing your money when living independently.
If you move into your own tenancy, we will support with initial payments required to the social housing provider, such as a deposit or upfront payment. After this, you will normally be responsible for paying your rent, utility bills and other household costs. Your Personal Advisor can help you understand these responsibilities and access the financial support available to you.
As a Care Leaver, you may be entitled to additional support, including:
- support to apply for Universal Credit and other benefits
- Council Tax support up to your 25th birthday
- help to understand and manage rent payments
- support with budgeting and managing household bills
- advice about banking, saving and avoiding debt
- support to access deposits, rent in advance or other housing-related financial assistance where appropriate
Care Leavers are also exempt from the Shared Accommodation Rate of the Local Housing Allowance until their 25th birthday. This means you may be entitled to additional financial support towards your housing costs if you rent privately. Your Personal Advisor or Housing Options can help you understand this entitlement and make sure the correct rate is applied.
When you move into your first home, you may be able to access the Setting Up Home Allowance. This allowance is up to £3000 and is designed to help you purchase essential items such as furniture, white goods and other household items needed to set up your home. The allowance is usually arranged through your Personal Advisor, who will work with you to identify what you need and explain how items are purchased and provided.
Your Personal Advisor will help you think about what you need in your new home and support you to access furniture, white goods and other essential household items.
If you are worried about money, rent, bills or debt, please speak to your Personal Advisor as soon as possible. We would much rather help you early before a financial problem becomes a bigger worry.
We understand that not every Care Leaver will want to live in Cheshire West and Chester. You may wish to remain close to your foster carers, family, friends, education provider, university, employment or support network, even if this is outside the borough.
If you are living outside Cheshire West and Chester, or are planning to move to another area, your Personal Advisor will continue to support you and help you explore the accommodation options available to you. We will work with you and, where appropriate, other local authorities to help you access suitable accommodation and support.
If you would like to return to Cheshire West and Chester, we can help you explore your housing options and understand what support may be available.
Care Leavers under the age of 25 are no longer required to meet local connection requirements when applying for social housing. This means you should not be prevented from applying for social housing because you do not have a local connection to an area. Your Personal Advisor or Housing Options can provide further advice about your housing choices and options.
Whilst at university
If you decide to go to university, you’re not eligible for housing benefit unless you’re a parent, so you will need to ensure that your rent is paid from your student loan and the financial support we provide. For most students, the two options will be student accommodation for the full year, or student accommodation during term time and Staying Put with your previous foster carers in during vacation periods.
More information can be found within our Financial Procedures for Care Leavers leaflet (PDF, 1.7MB). From April 2025, we will pay 50% of your accommodation costs during your undergraduate course.
If you are choosing to stay in your own tenancy whilst studying locally, talk to your Personal Advisor about any possible financial support.
West Cheshire Homes
If you are looking for social housing or want to understand how the housing register works, you can find further information on the West Cheshire Homes website.
You can also speak to your Personal Advisor, who can help you access housing advice and support.
If you have questions about your accommodation, are worried about losing your home, need advice about housing options or want to understand what support is available, please get in touch with our Housing Options team:
- Phone: 0808 175 3595 (Option 2)
- Email: HousingOptions@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
