Help with homelessness
Our support for care leavers has been strengthened following a decision by our Cabinet in December 2019 that any care leaver who was looked after by Oldham Council will receive the full support of our Housing Options service up to the age of 25.
By agreeing that all Oldham care leavers under the age of 25 are in priority need and not looking at whether they have become homeless intentionally, there will be a duty to provide temporary and permanent accommodation for all these young people.
The Housing Options service works closely with Aftercare to support care leavers, whether they are getting ready to leave care at 18 or have found themselves homeless in the years after.
By mutually raising this support to 25 it will potentially mean the chances of care leavers becoming homeless as they get older will decrease.
Contact
For help and advice please contact the Housing Options Service:
- Phone: 0161 770 4605
- Email: housing.options@oldham.gov.uk
Semi-independence units and supported flats
Accommodation and the ability to cope with independent living is one of the biggest concerns for many young people leaving care.
To help you in your transition from leaving care to living independently, we can provide various options including semi-independence units and supported flats.
Semi-independence units
- Hawthorne Crescent, Fitton Hill: Five self-contained rooms, one of which is used as emergency accommodation.
- Suffolk Street, Werneth: Six self-contained units. One bedroom is used as emergency accommodation.
Both accommodation provides you with
- further steps towards independence
- 24-hour residential support workers
- a key worker who provides support and links into the after care worker
- weekly budgeting (includes shopping, bus pass and other bill payments)
- support to help develop independence skills such as cooking, cleaning and laundry
- an individual Pathway/Support Plan that identifies where support is needed
- A package of support which is reviewed regularly to meet the young person’s needs
- their own tenancy
- the option to attend the many after care groups and social activities
- regular support meetings, supported by a manager.
Supported flats
Oldham also has three supported housing projects:
- Ripponden Road (four flats),
- Goddard Street (six flats)
- Clyde Street (three flats, training room and office).
You will have shorthold assured tenancies for an agreed length of time.
Support is provided by staff from the semi-independence units, dependent on individual need.
Referrals
The accommodation is just for looked after young people and care leavers and a referral is completed by your after care social worker and places are allocated when vacancies arise.
You will sign an agreement and have a licence for the semi-independence units and a shorthold assured tenancy for the flats.