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Housing information for young people

If you're 16 or 17, find out about your rights if you're sleeping rough on the streets, staying somewhere with no legal rights or staying somewhere unsafe

Who can help you:

Our children's social care team must help most homeless 16 and 17 years olds - in an emergency they can help you find somewhere safe to stay for the night.

Our housing options team help homeless people, too - in an emergency they can also help you find somewhere safe to stay for the night.

Advice services like Shelter and Rutland Citizen's Advice can help you understand your rights and challenge decisions you think are wrong. Shelter also have a free emergency helpline - call: 0808 800 4444.

We also have special support services for young people in Rutland that can deal with homelessness based at Jules House in Oakham - call them on 01572 758 301.

Help from children's social care

Our children's social care team will do an assessment to see if you are a 'child in need' - this legal term covers young people, too. If they assess that you are a child in need, they can help you to:

  • find a place to live (and they pay for it)
  • get into training or education
  • tackle any person issues you may have, like drug or alcohol problems

If children's social care can't help you, get independent advice as soon as you can. Speak to our someone from our housing options team - tell them you are homeless.

Some young people don't like the idea of being involved with children's social care. If you're offered support, you don't have to agree to it, but they can help you sort out any issues you may have - not just with housing.

Whoever you get support from will want to check if you can go back home because it isn't easy living on your own at your age. Our housing options and children's social care teams have people who can talk to you and your parents, to see if you can sort things out. We cannot force you to go back home, especially if it's not safe for you because of violence or abuse.

That's why it's really important for you to tell the worker about these issues.

Even if you and your parents agree to talk, we will help you to get a place to stay while this is being sorted out.

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