Approaching Your 18th Birthday Get In Touch…

Children’s Services In the run up to your 18th birthday Children’s Services the Social worker will help you Tel: 0800 1313 126 decide your plans as you may not be Out of hours emergencies: 0845 604 2886 able to stay in your accommodation Housing long past 18, unless you are in a Chase District Council supported housing/hostel and they Civic Centre, PO Box 28, allow this. Beecroft Road, Cannock, WS11 1BG Tel: 01543 462621 This could be; Borough Council Returning to your family Customer Service Centre, Market Place, , DE14 1HA Social housing Tel: 01283 508120 Out of hours emergencies: 01283 508126 Private rented housing District Council District Council House, Frog Lane, Supported Housing Lichfield, WS13 6YX Tel: 01543 308709/01543 308703 Helpful Websites Out of hours emergencies: 01543 308000 Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council 61-63 Lower Street, Newcastle under Lyme, Shelter Staffordshire, ST5 2RS If you are www..shelter.org.uk/get_help Tel: 0345 850 9698 Out of hours emergencies: 01782 615599 CenterPoint District Council Council Offices, Road, homeless www.centrepoint.org.uk/youth- homelessness/get-help-now/ , Wolverhampton, WV8 1PX Tel: 01902 696504 Citizens Advice Borough Council you shouldn’t have to be www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing Civic Centre, Riverside, Stafford, ST16 3AQ /homelessness/ Tel: 01785 619000 sleeping on the street or Out of hours emergencies: 01785 619170 ‘sofa surfing’. District Council Moorlands House, Stockwell Street, Are you 16 to 17 years old? Staffordshire’s Leek, Staffordshire, ST13 6HQ Children’s Services and Housing Departments Tel: 0345 605 3012 want to help you. [email protected] They will not leave you on the street. Tamworth Borough Council Marmion House, Lichfield Street, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79 7BZ

Tel: 01827 709709 COP2171 Help from your local Help from Children’s What kind of accommodation Housing Department: Services. could you get?

Housing will look to see if you can Childrens Services will try and help Accommodation offered by Housing go back to a family member. you stay with your family. is likely to be temporary.

If you go to Housing, they will make If you are homeless that night, they Children’s Services could find you a referral to Childrens Services will find somewhere temporary for accommodation which could be you to stay whilst they carry out because by law you are still a child. A placement with a host family assessments and speak to your If it is an emergency Housing will family. A hostel such as the YMCA look for emergency accommodation This assessment will tell them for you. Independent accommodation whether they view you as a ‘child with support Housing will look at all options for in need’ or they think you should you, but this may be temporary become a Child in Care who is Shared accommodation and out of the area you are from. cared for by Staffordshire County with support Council. But you may not get exactly what you want. Both the Housing Departments and Children’s Services will try and arrange Ongoing support. a joint interview and will listen to you and take into account your wishes and If you accept accommodation from feelings. Childrens Services, you are likely to have;

Support from your accommodation provider to help you prepare for independence

An income from benefits or a weekly allowance

A social worker

If you become a Child in Care for 13 weeks or more you may get a Personal Advisor to guide you until the age of 25.