If you are 16 or 17 years old and you can’t stay with your parents or carers, there are organisations which can help you with somewhere to live and make sure that you are safe.
- Solihull Council Children’s Services – 0121 788 4300
- St Basils – 0121 772 2483 St Basils website
- Solihull Community Housing – 0121 717 1515
Solihull Council’s children’s social workers will take the lead to make sure that you are safe, working with Solihull Community Housing to find you somewhere to sleep at night.
Other organisations like St Basils (a charity who work with the Council) and National Youth Advocacy Service can help you too with advice and support.
How will they help me?
St Basils will try to help you from becoming homeless in the first place, working with your parents/carers and other family to see if there is any way you can safely stay with them.
If you are homeless, you will get a social worker and a housing worker. They will explain the process and ask you about your experiences and what help you need so they can work out the best place for you to live. This might be:
- St Basils supported accommodation - places to stay across the West Midlands. Some have staff there 24/7 and some give you a lot of independence, it all depends on what you need.
- Supported lodgings - this is staying in a private home with a supportive adult.
- Foster placement - you would live with and become part of a family, they look after you and help you to become independent.
St Basils will help you with budgeting and how to pay your bills, and both St Basils and your social worker will help you to become independent, help you with getting a job or to start training and what to do next. Your social worker will help you in lots of different ways and you have a right to decide the level of that support based on what you want and what you need, including financial support.