OUT OF CARE AND
GOING ALONE. A GUIDE TO INDEPENDANT LIVING
BY YOUNG PEOPLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
INTRO.
ABOUT OUR PROJECT!
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Hello! We are a group of young people from across the county of Lancashire who are all care leavers. We are now living independently and although it has been hard at times, we’re managing OK! So we thought we would share our experiences with you. We have created this booklet with the help of Fixers, the charity that gives young people a voice, to help young people who are preparing to leave the care system. We know first hand how difficult the change can be between being in care and living independently and we want to use these experiences to make it a smoother transition for others. Good luck!
BEFORE YOUR MOVE DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS
There are many questions that you can ask your social worker or leaving care worker before starting the transition, here are some that may help:
How does housing benefit work?
What support will I get rker? from my leaving care wo What happens if I move somewhere and then I don’t like it? When will I get my leaving care worker? What daily, practical support will I get?
What will I receive money for?
Will you help me set up my direct debits for my bills? In our booklet, some of these questions will be answered, but any that aren’t, or any other questions you may have, don’t be afraid to ask whilst you have the chance!
ESSENTIALS FOR YOUR NEW HOME
When you move you need to decide what items will be essential in your new home. This is our list of items we felt we needed when we made our moves, tick them off as you go along, to make sure you don’t forget anything you need:
HOOVER
MATTRESS
FRIDGE
OVEN
SOFA
CARPETS
KETTLE
CUTLERY
CLEANING PRODUCTS
LIGHT BULBS
IRON
IRONING BOARD
TOILET PAPER
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
Everyone’s idea of ‘Essentials’ is different, so we’ve left some spaces above for you to fill in and tick off!
BUDGETING LOOK AFTER YOUR £’s
Budgeting is one of the trickiest things to do for someone moving into their own place for the first time. Here are some handy hints we’ve come up with to help you:
Pay your rent first, before anything else! Set up direct debits for pay day or the day after pay day. Delays in paying direct debits can leave you with a bad credit rating, so remember to pay on time! Write down all your incomings and outgoings, then you will have a better idea of how much you can spend on non-essential items. There are many phone apps out there to help you with budget planning! Do your research! Utility suppliers can massively vary in cost. Shop around before commiting to a supplier!
BILLS
Remember to put money aside to pay your bills!
There are many different types of bills but the essential bills that you will almost certainly need to budget for are: • Council Tax • Gas / Electricity & Water
SAFETY SAFETY FIRST! Choosing an area to live in is a BIG decision. Many of us didn’t have a conversation about where to live and what’s out there. Have a look at our suggestions below and make sure you feel comfortable before your move:
• Do you have enough lighting outside? • Is the area well lit? • Do you feel safe? • Visit the property at different times of the day to get a feel of your surroundings at day and night. • Is it near to the bus stop or transport links? • What is available in the local neighbourhood? IN YOUR HOME: Check your lock works and you have a full set of keys. Does your new home have a fire alarm? It should have. If it doesn’t, buy one from a reputable company such as safelincs.co.uk. If a trademan needs to visit your home to fix anything, make sure you check their ID. Do you have spare light bulbs and a torch for a backup?
WHO CAN HELP? A LIST OF HELPFUL NUMBERS
When you move in to a place for the first time, you will often inherit the utility suppliers of the previous tenants/owners. To find out WHO that supplier is you can call the follow numbers:
Who’s your GAS supplier? Call: 0870 608 1524
Write down your supplier: __________________________
Your WATER supplier? Call: 0870 751 0093
Write down your supplier: __________________________
Your ELECTRICITY supplier? Call: 0300 034 2222
Write down your supplier: __________________________
Your LOCAL COUNCIL? www.gov.uk/find-your-local-council
Remember to have your new address and postcode to hand so the suppliers can find this information for you quickly. OTHER USEFUL NUMBERS Emergency services: 999 Police (non emergency): 101 NHS Services / Emergency medical advice: 111 Emergency dentist: 111 Department for Work and Pensions: 0843 504 7178
This booklet has been produced with the help of Fixers, the campaign that helps young people ‘Use their past to fix the future’. Fixers is part-funded by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery fund.
For more information on living independently visit: citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/ shelter.org.uk gov.uk/browse/housing-local-services