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Care Leavers – Further Housing & Accommodation Support Information

Housing and Accommodation is a really important part of all our lives. If you require support with housing and accommodation the services below are ready to help:

Orkney Islands Council

Offering an early planned route into housing, with high priority on the housing list and support to prepare for an independent tenancy, without needing to present as homeless. Housing staff work closely with colleagues providing the social work aftercare service. Housing and accommodation is a key part of the ‘pathways plan’.

  • Young people are supported so they do not have to go through the homelessness process or be labelled as homeless
  • From age 16, they can complete a housing application form
  • Young people a Corporate Parent Pass, which gives them gold priority for housing. That gold priority is effectively the same housing priority as someone who is homeless (apart from exceptional circumstances where platinum priority applies)
  • Housing and aftercare staff will work together to plan ahead with young people for their move into their own home, including considering what support they need to manage a tenancy successfully

Property Repair service

repairs@orkney.gov.uk

emergency/out of hours 01856 873430

Orkney Housing Association Ltd (OHAL)

Choice-based letting scheme based on a ‘points’ system Orkney Housing Association Limited (OHAL) — Apply for Rented Housing Contact: Mhairi Shaw & Sarah Kennedy Mhairi.Shaw@ohal.org.uk

Sarah.Kennedy@ohal.org.uk | Tel: 01856 875253 | OHAL Repairs and Maintenance

emergency/out of hours 01856 873430

Orkney Care and Repair

Orkney Care and Repair support clients who own their own homes or live in privately rented accommodation. They can provide independent advice and support to homeowners (including those with disabilities or long-term health conditions), helping them repair, improve, or adapt their homes so they can continue living safely, comfortably, and independently within their communities.

Contact: 01856 873369

Orkney Blide Trust Housing First for Youth (HF4Y)

Targeted housing support for Care Leavers (includes securing and managing tenancy)

Contact: Leah Bliss | Leah@blidetrust.org | Tel : 07516245449

Right There

Our supported accommodation is for young people up to age 25, who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Our team supports with developing independent living skills, such as cooking, budgeting, maintaining your tenancy and offers practical, emotional and therapeutic support.

For referral to the service please contact: Housing, Homelessness Department, Orkney Islands Council, Kirkwall, KW15 1NY telephone: 01856 873535

Women’s Aid Orkney

We aim to offer support to keep women and their families safer whilst enabling healing and recovery from the short, medium and long term effects of a perpetrators abuse.

Contact: info@womensaidorkney.org.uk | 01856 877900

CLD/Youth Services

Targeted life skills courses to support care leavers in managing tenancies and independent living.(under development)

Who Cares? Scotland

Advocacy can offer support to care-experienced young people to: – help them articulate their housing needs and preferences

  • provide assistance to raise issues related to housing, including signposting to relevant services
  • support young people to understand through-care and aftercare housing options.
After care services (Social Work)

Young people will receive help (including financial) linked to housing transitions, including support around moving into accommodation.

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