Your pathway plan
You should have a pathway plan. You create this document with your social worker. It explains how you will move to independent living.
It should set out:
- the support social services will provide and what other support is available
- what will happen if things do not go to plan
It should include where you will live, how you will manage your money, and your plans for education, training, or employment. Social services must review your plan every six months and update it if your needs change.
Personal advisor
Your pathway plan should tell you who will support you after you leave care. This person is your personal adviser.
Social services must keep your plan up to date. They must provide a personal adviser until your 21st birthday. You can ask to keep your adviser until your 25th birthday, or until your education or training ends if this is later.
If you do not know who your personal adviser is, contact the social services team that supported you. You can also contact Coram Voice for advice on 0808 800 5792.
Staying put
If your foster family agrees, you can stay living with them. Social services should offer advice, assistance, and support to help make this arrangement work.
The Thrive service
The Thrive 16+ service provides housing support and accommodation for children in care and care leavers. It also supports other young people who are homeless and meet priority need criteria.
The service is for young people aged 16 to 25. It can help with:
- Emergency accommodation if you are in crisis and need a place to stay at short notice
- Mediation to help rebuild family relationships, where suitable
- A range of supported accommodation in Taunton, Minehead, Bridgwater, Frome, Street, Shepton Mallet and Yeovil. Generally, the accommodation will be laid out in such a way that you have your own bedroom but share other facilities with other young people as well as self-contained flats in some areas. Some of the accommodation is staffed 24 hours a day whilst some is generally unstaffed but with regular visits from support workers.
- Support in finding permanent housing, maintaining accommodation, helping with benefit claims, setting up utilities, managing money and more.
- Tenant Accreditation Scheme to build skills for independent living
- Partnership working – close working relationships with colleagues in Children’s Social Care and other agencies (including services that can provide support with mental health, training and education, drug and alcohol misuse and so on).
The service aims to prevent homelessness through early support. If needed, it provides a pathway to help you move towards independent living or return home.
We aim to provide the right support, in the right place, at the right time. We also help young people build friendships, networks, and trusted relationships.
Finding private rented accommodation
There is a range of private rented accommodation available across Somerset, depending on your needs.
If you are on a low income, you may be able to get help with housing costs through Universal Credit. The amount you receive depends on your age and circumstances.
If you are a care leaver under 25, or you have spent at least three months in a hostel or refuge, you may qualify for the one-bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate instead of the shared accommodation rate.
About Homefinder Somerset
As a care leaver, you can receive Gold Band priority on Homefinder Somerset. This applies if you live in short-term supported housing and are ready to move into independent accommodation.