Accommodation for young people leaving care
Accommodation issues are often the biggest challenges and areas of concern for young people leaving care.
Our accommodation offer includes loads of supported accommodation, a small number of training flats, affordable accommodation specifically for young people who work as well as emergency accommodation and support for when things go wrong.
Future House
We have a housing team in Future First called Future House! They are specialist workers who support you and your personal adviser to plan the best housing and accommodation options for you.
Future House also holds regular online drop in sessions on Zoom for young people to bring or raise any housing queries or concerns.
Life Skills Programme
We help you to develop independence skills through our Life Skills programme. This is to help you get ready to live independently and is in modules. We run this in groups throughout the year so your personal adviser or your social worker will talk to you about it!
Young people in care
Whilst you are still in care, children’s social care will ensure that you have a suitable care place to live, such as with a foster carer or in a residential home or semi-independent accommodation.
Supporting your local links
We will always make sure that if you have lived in a different area for at least two years, including a period before you turned 16 and you wish to stay in that area, that you are placed in the housing waiting list in that area as you will have ‘local links’.
Young people leaving care
We believe that, where possible, young people should remain in care until they are 18. However, if you choose to leave care before this, we will ensure that you have suitable accommodation and support and will make sure you have enough money to pay your bills and manage independently.
As you move towards leaving care, Future First, partnership with the Housing Department in the Council where you live and alongside advice from our Future House Housing Officers and other agencies, will provide advice and support so that you can access safe and suitable accommodation with the support you are assessed to need. Your Personal Advisor is there to offer you accurate information about your options and to make sure that when there are choices to be made, you are making them with a clear understanding of your rights and responsibilities. We will also encourage all young people to understand their local Council’s Housing Policy, like Wandsworth’s.
Joining the priority housing waiting list
Former relevant care experienced young people from Wandsworth are eligible to join the priority housing waiting list, also known as the ‘social care queue’.
Future First get a certain number of properties every year offered to Care Experienced young people and to get on the waiting list, you have to apply via a panel, that is held every month. To get approved by the panel, you have to demonstrate that you have the skills to manage a tenancy independently. Part of this proof is that you have to have completed our life skills course. You can complete this by attending the workshops or by completing the booklet with your personal advisor.
You have the right to attend the panel yourself, with your personal advisors support, to talk about why you feel ready for your independent tenancy.
Moving into supported accommodation
If you are moving into supported accommodation, a tenancy or are moving away to university, you can ask for a ‘starter pack’ to get you started. This will come in useful holdalls and will include items such as bedding, towels, kitchen equipment, toiletries etc. Please ask your personal advisor for more information.
You only get this starter pack once so look after it. It is worth over £250.
Guarantor scheme
Former relevant care experienced young people from Wandsworth can also access our Guarantor Scheme.
The scheme supports young people who demonstrate really strong tenant skills, to access privately rented accommodation in whichever area of the country they wish to live.
Young parents
For young parents, we have a number of parent and child accommodation projects that can offer both tenancy support and parenting support. These are fantastic places to build up your tenancy skills whilst you prepare for your settled accommodation.
Advice and support
We provide continuing advice about maintaining a tenancy, including paying rent, Council Tax and bills regularly.
We will also support you to access debt advice and help you to set up payment plans if you face any sort of debt or arrears.
Financial support and funding
Your personal advisor will support you to apply for as many extra sources of funding as they can, if you need help to buy things for your home or get support with managing expenses related to your tenancy. This might include emergency grants or an application to a charity or a community group. Your personal advisor will always support you to maximise your income.
We will always help you to claim benefits or make sure that an appropriate person is supporting you with this.
Floating support service
We currently provide a floating support service to help young people to manage their tenancies. Anyone can be referred. If you are interested you should ask your personal advisor.
Support with bills
To take some of the financial pressures off you, if you are a former relevant care leaver up to the age of 21, we will pay your Council Tax bill in whichever area you live. You will need to bring your Council Tax bill to your personal advisor.
When you move into a new accommodation where you have to pay utility bills, we give you a £20 grant to help put credit on your accounts.
In the first winter that you live in your settled home if you move in after the 1 April 2024, you will get £15 per week (£390 in total) to help with fuel bills for the period 1st October until 31 March.
Setting Up Home Grant
Relevant and former relevant young people who had a Pathway Plan with Future First on 1 April 2024 have a £3,159 Setting Up Home Grant to spend on essential items to set up their home.
Those who were aged 21+ at 1 April 2024 and who are returning to service after that date are entitled to a £2,500 grant.