Careleavers

Record details

Housing information and advice

These pages are for careleavers between the ages of 16 and 25 who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in Northamptonshire.

 You will find free information and advice about housing, including:

  • the choices that you have   
  • organisations you can contact for help and support
  • how we can help

You have to be at least 16 years old and have been in the care of Northamptonshire County Council for at least three months past your 14th birthday and at least 1 day past your 16th birthday.

You may be able to get practical help with day to day life and money until you are 21 or sometimes until you are 25

Organisations that you can contact

Centrepoint: Offers advice to any one in England aged between 16 to 25 who is worried that they may be homeless.

Visit the Centrepoint website: Centrepoint.org.uk
Telephone: Freephone 0808 800 0661 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

 

Coram Voice: supports care leavers and children in care, including the hardest to reach and most vulnerable young people.

They can help to make sure you are listened to and your opinions are taken in to account when organisations like the council make decisions that affect your life.
 
Coram Voice has a free telephone helpline and can offer face to face meetings and independant advocates.
Visit the Coram Voice website: Coramvoice.org.uk
Telephone: 0800 800 5792 Monday to Friday 9:30am to 6pm, Saturdays 10am to 4pm

 

HOPELINE Papyrus UK provides support and advice to children, teenagers and young people up to the age of 35 who are having suicidal thoughts, or anyone concerned that a young person could be thinking about suicide.

Visit: The HOPELINE Papyrus website: Papyrus-uk.org
Text 07786209697
Telephone:  0800 068 4141 Monday to Friday 10am to 10pm, weekends and bank holidays 2pm to 10pm  
 
Other useful contacts
You can find other useful contacts on the Young Northants Leaving Care website :Young Northants Leaving Care 

 

How we can help

Everyone is entitled to free information and advice.

If you are a careleaver and are homeless or threatened with homelessness we can offer you additional practical help.

 

Northamptonshire Leaving Care Team

Leaving care in Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire Leaving Care Team has written a guide to leaving care in Northamptonshire which explains all the help and advice that you have a right to.

Your personal adviser
Northampton Leaving Care Team will give you a named personal adviser (P.A.) who you can ask for help and support while you adjust to adult life. Your personal adviser will help you with anything, including finding somewhere to live.

Finding somewhere to live
Your personal adviser can show you how to find the right type of place to live, and in the right area.  There is a range of housing options for care leavers which they can explain in more detail.

They can come to meetings with you if you want to apply to us for a Council or Housing Association home.

How to contact Northamptonshire Leaving Care Team
You can contact Northamptonshires Leaving Care Team at our Stop Shop. They offer appointments and a drop-in service  every Friday between 9am and 4pm.

Telephone 01604 364 779

Vist Young Northants Leaving Care Website: Young Northants  

Speak to a housing adviser

If you contact housing advice before contacting Childrens Service then we will listen to you to find out about you and what help you are asking for.

We will usually then contact Children's Service and work together with them to agree the help that is in your best interests.

Single homelessness service

We have a drop-in advice service if you are single or a childless couple and homeless or worried about becoming homeless. 

We can offer:

  •  a confidential one-to-one meeting with you to agree the right type of help for you

  •  to speak to whoever is asking you to leave. This could be your landlord, friends or family

  •  professional help to sort out personal problems that are making your housing situation worse

  •  a referral to the night shelter or other immediate help so you do not need to sleep rough

  •  reconnecting you to a familiar area if you do not have a local connection in Northamptonshire


Drop-in to Northampton’s One Stop Shop from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday


To book an appointment telephone 01604 837 716

Your housing options

Staying with your foster carers:
If you are settled and happy in your foster placement, and your foster carers want you to stay, you can ask to remain there until you are 21.

At 18 you’ll officially be a ‘care leaver’, but not much else needs to change.

Supported housing
Supported housing gives you the opportunity to gain more skills and independance to prepare for adult life and includes:
•  sharing a house with several other young people
•  your own flat with a support worker who will visit you
•  your own flat or room in a building with several other young people and a support worker on site

Specialist housing
If you have a disability or a learning difficulty then your personal assistant will help to ensure you are offered housing that’s right for you with the right adaptations and/or support staff.

Independent housing
You may be ready for your own tenancy of a standard rented flat. This is rented accommodation with extra support if you need it, such as financial advice.

University housing
If you are going to university, then the university will help you to find somewhere to live during term times.
Propel is an organisation that provides information about what each university offers careleavers   https://propel.org.uk/UK/
Visit the Propel website: Propel.org.uk
Email: propel@becomecharity.org.uk
Telephone 0207 251 3117

The council must find you somewhere to live during the holidays (which might be at the university) or give you money to help you pay for somewhere during the holidays.Your personal assistant will help you with this.

Money advice

Northampton Money Advice Team Our specially trained team provide free information and support if you have arrears with your rent, council tax or mortgage.

Telephone 01604 838 578 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

 or email  moneyadvice@northampton.gov.uk

The Money Advice Service is an independent service, set up by the government to help you manage your money if you are going through a significant life event, or are trying to tackle or avoid debt.

Visit the Money Advice Service website: moneyadviceservice.org.uk 

Telephone 0800 138 7777 Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm

Webchat Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm Saturday 8am to 3pm

Joining the housing register

Deciding where to live  

If you are leaving the care of Northamptonshire County Council then you can ask any of the seven district councils in Northamptonshire for help to live in their area, even if your care placement was outside of Northamptonshire.

Your personal assistant will help you to decide which local council to go to for help, and which housing register to join if this is what you want to do.

Joining a housing register

The housing register is a waiting list of people who qualify to rent a home from a council or a housing association.
This type of housing is in very short supply and there are long waiting lists in most parts of the country.

Northamptonshire County Council and the seven district council housing registers
Northamptonshire County Council covers a wide area which is broken up into seven smaller local district and borough councils. Each of these local councils has its own housing register.

Your personal assistant will explain this in more detail if you would like them to.  

 Northamptonshire's district councils

  • Corby Borough Council
  • Daventry District Council
  • East Northamptonshire Council
  • Kettering Borough Council
  • Northampton Borough Council
  • South Northamptonshire Council
  • Borough of Wellingborough Council

 Every local council has a website with details of how to join their housing register

How to join Northampton’s housing register

 

Help in an emergency
Help in an emergency
If you need advice on homelessness in an emergency please telephone
Northamptonshire’s Children’s Social Care team on 01604 626 938
or
our out of hours service on 0300 330 700

Immediate danger
If you are in immediate danger then telephone 999 and speak to the Police
 

No need to sleep rough

If you are sleeping rough in Northampton, or at risk of sleeping rough in Northampton then help, advice, and shelter is available.

We can work with you to keep you off the streets. We can offer:

  • someone to talk to from our street outreach team
  • help for you to stay with friends or family
  • emergency night shelter,
  • money advice and benefit advice
  • support with debt, drug and alcohol addiction, gambling, mental health issues, etc.

We may also be able to help you to get back on track with supported housing, employment and training and somewhere settled to live.

Please  contact our  Single Homelessness Adviser at the One Stop Shop Monday - Friday, 10am - 4pm or telephone 01604 837 716.

In an emergency please contact the out of hours service on 0300 330 7000