Your home

To arrange new housing, you will need to speak with the housing department in your local area. We will help you with this.

We can help you to establish if you have a local connection in the area you are living in and if you are entitled to join the housing register.

We can also help you to look for privately rented accommodation.

At 16, it is important that you register for housing and log into your account every year. You will get email reminders to do this.

Private renting: We can help with a deposit for your first tenancy and the first month's rent if needed.

Social housing: If there is a break in benefits during your move, we will support you with 2 weeks' rent to bridge the gap. We will also cover the deposit if a deposit is needed.

If you're not ready or don't want your own tenancy, we can help. We can help find you other housing options, like supported accommodation or a room in a shared house.

We will give you a setting up home allowance of £3,000 to help you get settled into your new space. This allowance increased in 2023 - those turning 18 before 1 April 2023 will have received £1,500.

When you are close to leaving care (or before you turn 25), if you have any money left from this allowance, we will give this to you in lump sum.

We can also help you with moving costs such as a removal van and storage for up to 3 months, if you need this.

In Bracknell Forest, care leavers up to the age of 25 do not have to pay council tax. Your personal assistant can help you to email Revenue Services to confirm your exemption.

If you live outside of the borough, don’t worry. You are eligible for a council tax refund up to the age of 25. Please send us a copy of your payments and we can reimburse you. 

If you find yourself without housing or need urgent help, we can help with emergency living costs. This support may include staying short term in a hotel or bed and breakfast while we find other ways to resolve the crisis.

If you need to store your belongings during a crisis, we can offer storage for up to 3 months.

This crisis support is to make sure you have a safe place to stay while we look for longer term housing solutions.

If this is what you and your foster carer wants, we will support you to remain with your foster carer under what is called a ‘staying put’ arrangement. This can last until you are 21.

There will be meeting about this before you become 18 and all will be explained then.

You can ask your social worker or your personal adviser more about this.