In this section
Young person leaving care
If you are aged 18, have left care or are about to leave it and you live in Hertfordshire, then Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) has a duty to support you on a number of issues up to the age of 25. For example, they will help you put in place a "pathway plan" which covers what you will do about a place to live, managing your life including managing your money, education and training, getting a job, your financial needs like applying for benefits, and special help if you can't live by yourself because you have particular needs.
Local Offer for Care Leavers
If you've left care or you're about to leave care, HCC will help you until you're 25. This is sometimes called the "Local offer for Care Leavers."
Between the age of 18–21, HCC will:
- allocate a leaving care personal adviser to support you
- work with you to co-produce a pathway plan, at least every 6 months.
When you're 21, HCC will talk to you about what ongoing support you need. If you have an ongoing need that requires our support, they’ll remain involved with you and continue to support you via your leaving care personal adviser and your co-produced Pathway Plan.
If you're a care leaver aged 21-25, you can still access support from a personal adviser if you'd like help with:
- education, training and employment
- housing
- finances
- emotional wellbeing
- accessing services and community opportunities
- reconnecting with support if your circumstances change.
Hertfordshire Local Offer for Care Leavers
Accommodation / housing
HCC work with Watford Borough Council (WBC), the other district and borough councils in Hertfordshire, housing associations and support providers to:
- plan housing options before you leave care
- help you access suitable accommodation
- prevent homelessness
- support you to maintain your tenancy
- provide coordinated support when difficulties arise
- ensure housing needs are included within your Pathway Plan.
Further information is available online
Homeless, or at risk of homelessness
If you are homeless now or think you may be homelessness in the next 56 days, HCC has a Duty to Refer you to a local authority of your choice for help and support about finding a place to live.
You can also get in touch with us yourself and get advice on what to do next if you need a place to live. To do this, you should fill in the council's online Housing Advice Form and someone from the council will be in touch with you five working days or will see you straightaway if you have told us you are homeless now or going to be within 3 days of your application.
If you have nowhere to live and you are between 18 and 20 years old (other than students) and while under 18, you were, but are no longer looked after, accommodated or fostered, you will be a priority under the homelessness law. This means the council will provide you with temporary accommodation and work with you to help find a settled place for you to live in. A settled place to live in could be either in a private rented place or in a flat owned by a housing association.
Other advice from WBC to find somewhere to live
Shelter’s advice for Care Leavers
Social housing and the housing register
WBC’s Nominations Policy ensures care leaver applicants qualify automatically for Band A, designated for applicants with the most urgent housing and social needs.
Private rented accommodation
WBC can support you in finding a private rented home. Where the council accepts someone as priority homeless, you may be able to get help to find a private rented home through the council's PRS Access Scheme.
Citizens Advice Watford - information on private renting
Supported Accommodation
There is also a wide range of supported accommodation across Watford provided by our partners, that include New Hope, YMCA Chiltern Group and Emerging Futures.
Other help and support
It is important to remember that there is support out there. Below are a range of other organisations that can help:
- National Youth Advocacy Service - supporting care-experienced children, young people and adults in vulnerable situations
- Care Leavers Association – a growing network of care leavers with the vision ‘a good life in care, a good life after care’
- Become – the charity for children in care and young care leavers
- Herts Young Homeless – breaking the cycle of youth homelessness in Hertfordshire
- Turn2Us - helping people in financial need get access to benefits, charitable grants and other support
- 9 Lives Furniture - 25 Wharf Lane, Rickmansworth. Recycles furniture and other items. A 50% discount applies for people receiving means-tested benefits
- New Hope - 67 Queens Road, Watford. Is one of the largest charity shops in Hertfordshire. Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm. Tel: 01923 236698
