Leaving care service - accommodation and living in the community

• we will support you to live in a home that you can make homely and feel safe and happy in
• we have close relationships with Adult Social Care, Health and Housing services to support you with access to them
• we will support you to live with people you like and feel safe with
• we do everything we can to support you with suitable accommodation and never be intentionally homeless
• no intentionally homeless decision will be made about you without us all looking at alternatives together
• as a Derbyshire Care Leaver, you have priority housing status anywhere in Derbyshire. You can apply anywhere in Derbyshire not just the district council you lived in
• we have good relationships with all Housing teams. If you have a problem, speak with us and we will help
• if you feel settled at 18 within your foster family we can support you to remain there for longer, under our staying put scheme.  If you feel ready to move on at 18, to something a little more independent then Supported Lodgings may work better for you, giving you a real sense of adult life but within a home environment
• Step Up: we have our own commissioned accommodation: semi-independent accommodation for children 16+ across Derbyshire
• all care leavers will be band B when they are living in our supported accommodation and move on to housing
• access to financial support and housing grants
• support with costs of accommodation when at university up to 25
• leaving care will help you set up home, we will support you to sustain your tenancy even when things become difficult, we will still be there
• local groups take place in leaving care safe service settings across Derbyshire; for young parents and for people keen to learn further independence and cooking skills
• we continue to support you when you find yourself in Custody and need someone to speak with before and after you turn 21
• we will visit you in prison and support you and your identity as you remain a Derbyshire care leaver
• if your home was previously in another country and you are now living in the UK as an Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child.  We will support you with your asylum claim, access to accommodation and support you with your cultural needs
• we are disability aware and promote independence and support for all of our Derbyshire Care leavers who have additional needs