Housing help and guidance for young people who've been in care
Care leavers - 16 and 17 year olds
If you are homeless, and have a social worker you need to call them asap.
Norfolk County Council may be able to help you find somewhere to live if you meet all three of their criteria:
- you've already left care
- you've spent a total of at least 13 weeks in care since the age of 14
- part of that time in care was while you were 16 or 17
We'll likely conduct a joint interview with them to:
- identify what your housing and support needs are
- work with you to try to prevent your homelessness
- support you to find you somewhere to live
Please visit the Norfolk County Council website to find out more.
Care leavers - 18 to 21 year olds
If you're a care leaver aged 18 to 21, we'll work together with Norfolk County Council's children's services to help.
We'll provide you with a ‘Personal Housing Plan’ which will tell you what we can do to help you and what you can do to help yourself.
If you're homeless we'll decide if we have a duty to provide you with accommodation. We'll automatically class you as being in ‘priority need’ for accommodation until you're 21 if:
- you're aged 18 to 21 and spent at least one night in care when you were 16 or 17
- you're in full time education
To arrange a meeting with us, please contact us. You can:
- phone us on 01553 616200
- email us at housingoptions@west-norfolk.gov.uk
- visit us in person
About your Personal Adviser
A Personal Advisor acts as a focal point to ensure a care leaver is provided with the correct level of support. You should’ve been given a Personal Adviser while you were still in care.
If you've forgotten who your advisor is, please contact Norfolk County Council who will have given you one in the past.
Your Personal Adviser can help you with:
- filling in application forms for benefits, housing and educational courses
- advice and information on how to manage day to day finances
- any problems you have with where you live
Your Personal Adviser will support and help you until:
- you’re 21, or
- you're 25 if you’re still studying full time
About a local connection
To apply for housing in this area, you must have a local connection to the borough. If you don’t, we’ll pass your case to the local authority area where you have a local connection.
You have a local connection if:
- you're under 21 and were previously in care in the area for at least two years (even if placed there by another council)
- you're under 25 and you get advice and support from the social services department under a 'pathway plan'
If your pathway plan is provided by Norfolk County Council, you have a local connection to every local housing department in the county council area.