You will be encouraged and supported to remain in positive, caring settings until you are ready to move on. Ideally we would like you to ‘stay put’ or remain in supported lodgings post your 18th birthday, as we recognise that the majority of young people do not leave home permanently at the age of 18. We want to ensure you have the skills and knowledge needed to live independently and are equipped to manage the challenges ahead.
We will ensure that the accommodation provided for you is suitable for your needs. All accommodation placements will be based on a thorough assessment of your needs which includes ascertaining your wishes, feelings and aspirations.
Please see ‘Care Leavers – Housing Protocol’
Housing Options – Post 18
Staying Put
Warrington has a staying put offer for care leavers up until the age of 21 years, for those young people currently in a foster placement. The allocated social worker will ensure this option is discussed at every review to ensure young people and foster carers understand the process and any possible financial implications.
Supported Lodgings
Warrington’s supported lodgings scheme offers young people between the ages of 16-18 the opportunity to live in a household with support. This provision can be used a ‘stepping stone’ to independence. If the Young person decides to stay in the Supporting Lodging when they reach 18 then the landlord can enter into a separate agreement with the Young Person and issue them with a tenancy agreement. The tenancy agreement is the evidence UC use to determine the Private Rented Sector (PRS) housing costs.
Semi-Independent Accommodation (WBC)
Warrington has 6 semi-independent accommodation properties; Longshaw, Baronet Mews, Fairclough, Yates and 2 x 1 bedroom flats. Referrals for semi-independent accommodation can be made via your social worker and in line with your Pathway Plan.
The Verve
The Foyer Foundation provide a number of services and dedicated accommodation designed specifically for young people, aged between 16 and 25 years old. The Verve has 30 beds. A learning contract is put in place. Young People will be helped to learn key life-skills and encourage them to get into education, training and find work. All four of our Foyers have a communal lounge, chill-out areas, learning spaces, a virtual gym, an IT suite and a garden
Semi-Independent Accommodation (Private Providers)
Between the ages of 16-18 a referral can be made for a young person to move into their own property with a support package from an external provider. The private provider manages the tenancy up until the young person’s 18th birthday. Once the young person turns 18 they take over the tenancy in their own ‘right’.
Living with family, friends or relatives
For some young people it might be the right option to return to living with family. A Family Group Conference should be requested for all young people when they are aged 17.5. This is to enable you to re-establish links with your family and friends or build on the links you already have.
Social Housing
All young people who are assessed as ready for independent living will be eligible to apply for social housing. Currently, care leavers are classed as a priority need and are entitled to ‘Band 1’ status. Please note that this applies to Warrington only. Other Local Authority areas have different rules. As a care leaver in Warrington, you will not automatically be given priority need in another area and you may be required to prove that you have a local area connection to that area. The waiting time will vary in each area and so the pathway plan will need to reflect this, along with what will happen if the young person needs to move on from their current placement before a property is secured.
Before applying for social housing, the allocated social worker or personal advisor will need to take into account, does the young person
- understand the responsibility of managing their own tenancy
- Have a local connection to the area they want to apply
Most social housing in Warrington is offered through ‘Under one Roof’.
Under One Roof will have available homes from Muir Group, Your Housing Group, Warrington Housing Association, Plus Dane, Sanctuary Housing, Clarion Housing Group, Helena Homes and Golden Gates Housing Trust (GGHT) who run the scheme on behalf of Warrington Borough Council.
In order to be housed in social housing, any risk issues will need to be addressed with you and housing services can decline an application if they consider that the risks cannot be safely managed. A referral may be made to the vulnerable tenancy support service (VTSS) to help you manage your tenancy.
Alternatively, an application can be made through housing services to the local foyer – Verve Place. Again any risk issues will need to be addressed with you.
Private Rented
Another option to live independently is to rent privately from a landlord, this allows more flexibility in location and timescale.
There are a number of letting agents in Warrington who can assist with finding private rented accommodation. Many of these companies are based in the town centre and advertise through the local paper, the Warrington Guardian. It should be noted that housing benefit/universal credit may not meet all the private rental costs and you would be required to find the balance.
To ensure the property is affordable, the allocated social worker or personal advisor will check the local housing allowance for the area https://lhadirect.voa.gov.uk/Search.aspx
*The Shared Accommodation Rate (SAR) limits the level of housing costs available to care leavers through housing benefit or universal credit to the cost of a room in a shared house. Care leavers are exempt from SAR until they reach the age of 22. From October 2023 the SAR exemption for care leavers will be extended to 25 years as announced in the Budget of February 2020.
The Pathway Plan needs to reflect this and outline what support will be available to the young person during this time.
For people who need accommodation but can’t access social housing, the Bond Guarantee Scheme may be appropriate. On this scheme, the council will cover the bond with the private sector landlord for a period of between 6 and 18 months, which enables applicants to save up for the bond themselves, whilst living in the rented accommodation. The scheme is open to Warrington residents with a minimum age of 18 years and is subject to the landlord accepting the applicant for a tenancy and agreeing to the council’s bond conditions. For further information about the scheme and its terms and conditions, your PA will support you to contact the councils Homelessness & Housing Advice Service.
University Halls/Vacation accommodation
Most universities will offer accommodation in student halls or residence for the first year, and in some universities care leavers are able to remain in halls beyond year 1. Warrington offer all University students a £2000 grant to assist with housing costs. Young people who are ‘staying put’ are included in these arrangements when a continuing staying put arrangement forms part of the Pathway Plan who moves to attend a course of Higher education.
Home Ownership
The young person’s Personal Advisor will offer advice regarding the current support that is available to first time buyers including younger people such as the ‘Help to Buy’ and Shared Ownership schemes in the Warrington area.
Other options
If you have been referred to adult services, you may be able to remain in your current placement post 18, but again your social worker will fully discuss this with you and your carers, guardians or parents.
Poor Housing Conditions
There are various ways in which we can advise and assist you with problems relating to the repair of your home, or if you are having problems with your landlord. You can make a service request to the Council’s Housing Standards Service:
Telephone: 01925 248482
Email: privatesector@warrington.gov.uk
Information about this service can be found at https://www.warrington.gov.uk/private-sector-housing
The Housing Standards will acknowledge your request in writing and if appropriate, send out a private sector housing officer to inspect your house and give you advice accordingly.
The Housing Standards Service will take the matter up with your landlord on your behalf and will agree an acceptable solution to resolve the conditions. If necessary, we can use our legal powers to ensure that the work which we consider essential is completed. They will do this in accordance with our private sector housing enforcement policy. They will investigate service requests from all tenants, including those who are living in social housing and deal with any issues raised as necessary.
Council Tax Exemptions
People who live in a property as their main home have to pay the council tax for that property. We define you as a resident if you are 18 years old or over and live in a property as your main home.
If more than one person lives in a property, we use a system called the Hierarchy of Liability to work out who has to pay the council tax. The person nearest to the top of the hierarchy is the person who has to pay. Two people at the same point of the hierarchy have the same responsibility to pay. If no one lives in the property then the owner has to pay the council tax.
As a corporate parent, Warrington Borough Council wants to provide support to care leavers. By granting up to 100% discretionary relief from Council Tax, the Council will be providing financial assistance to care leavers whilst they are developing independent lives and life skills.
Warrington Care Leavers – Definition
The term ‘care leaver’ is defined in The Children (Care Leavers) Act 2000 and refers to eligible, relevant and former relevant children:
- The person is someone for whom Warrington Borough Council has acted previously as a corporate parent
- Relevant children are those young people aged 16 and 17 who have already left care, and who were ‘looked after’ for at least 13 weeks from the age of 14 and have been ‘looked after’ at some time while they were 16 or 17;
- Former relevant children are those young people aged 18, 19 or 20 who have been eligible and/or relevant.
- Care leavers can also be classified as ‘qualifying’ care leaver. This category applies to young people who:
Left care after 1st October 2001, after they had turned 16, but who are not 'eligible' or 'relevant' because they did not fulfil the 13 week criteria
Were accommodated, but in residential education, mental/health provision private fostering or Special Guardianship.
From April 2018, all of Warrington’s care leavers will be entitled to council tax exemption until aged 25. Your Personal Advisor will advise you regarding this process. There may be reciprocal arrangements with other neighbouring Local Authorities should you choose to live in a different area. Your Personal Advisor will help you check in the area which you live in.
Please note that this payment is discretionary and is not automatically applied to you as a care leaver. You must complete an application form, your Personal Advisor will support you with this
For further information, a PDF can be downloaded from:
It is important to understand that council tax reductions are reviewed regularly and exemption criteria may change in the future.
Homelessness
If your circumstances change and you become homeless, we will support you to attend the Housing Advice and Homelessness Service. Emergency accommodation will be provided by the council’s homelessness service if required.
Housing Advice and Homelessness Service
Warrington Borough Council’s housing advice and homelessness service offer a free service for owner-occupiers, tenants who are renting their homes from social or private landlords, as well as private landlords and people who have lost or are in danger of losing their homes. Their aim is to prevent Homelessness before it happens.
Depending on the nature of your enquiry and to help them establish your needs, you can complete our on-line application form. On receipt of your on-line application we will make an initial assessment of your housing options and provide you with information and advice initially by phone or email.
Website application: you can made a website application via the council’s website https://www.warrington.gov.uk/homelessness-and-housing-advice-service
Face to Face: If you prefer to speak to us face to face we offer a Drop-In Advice Service at our offices. The Council’s Homelessness & Housing Advice Service is based at the Gateway, 89 Sankey Street, Warrington, WA1 1SR and is open: Monday - Friday: 10-12 and 2-5pm
Email: housingadvice@warrington.gov.uk
Telephone: 01925 246868
Emergency Out of Hours Service for homelessness emergencies only: 01925 444400
Home Visits are available by arrangement.
If the Housing Advice and Homelessness Service are unable to assist directly, then we endeavour to signpost clients to other housing related services, such as the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB),Vulnerable Tenants Support Service (VTSS), housing providers or Warrington Home Information and Improvement Agency.