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Just 17 and homeless...advice please

I did wonder if his mum was under some sort of pressure to chuck him out and I asked her a number of times how she felt about the situation, all she would say is that it's all been very difficult and it's much more peaceful without him. She sounded more weary than anything else
 
:(

While there are other voluntary sector organisations out there, I'd say that Shelter / Centre Point are probably the best starting points.

On the local authority front, Ceej , is young person now in the same local authority area as where he was living?

I'm a bit fuzzy on these things, but there are some situations where only a person's 'home' local authority area has responsibility and any other authority will pretty much say 'not our problem'. Not sure whether this might be one.
 
nothing tops having to deal with an assured, hostile older male in your home when you are a 17 year old lad. Its great. Especially if he isn't your dad but is banging your mum. Really great. Wish the young man all the best Ceej, but do pls try to spell out where this rabbit hole goes for the kid to the mum. I mean tell her she might have to go identify a body of a 20 year old male in three years time. The streets are dangerous and the amount of times I nearly...well it makes your blood run cold.
 
Puddy_Tat said:
:(

While there are other voluntary sector organisations out there, I'd say that Shelter / Centre Point are probably the best starting points.

On the local authority front, Ceej , is young person now in the same local authority area as where he was living?

I'm a bit fuzzy on these things, but there are some situations where only a person's 'home' local authority area has responsibility and any other authority will pretty much say 'not our problem'. Not sure whether this might be one.
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Yeah it's called a local connection.
 
Ceej said:
He's from Camden and I'm in the same borough so hopefully that won't be a problem.
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that's something.

although there's still the chance that the housing and social services people will each say it's the other's responsibility...

http://www.marywardlegal.org.uk/legal-advice/housing-advice/ may be worth making a note of. I worked in Camden some time ago, and have a vague recollection they were quite good.

Is he claiming JSA or anything like that? Automatic entitlement to the dole (whatever the heck it was called then) for under 18s was ended some time during the Thatcher / Major years, but according to Turn2Us,

while you are under 18 you can only qualify for income-based JSA if you can show you are in ‘severe hardship’.
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I'd have thought that being homeless, having been slung out, and having bugger all income probably counts as 'severe hardship' but don't know just how you prove this to the DWP.

I seem to remember that when the restriction on under 18s claiming was brought in, a young person pretty much needed a letter from their parent/ guardian confirming they were 'estranged' - which was fuck all use to most young people who'd been thrown out by parents who didn't give a shit.

Turn2Us recommend seeking further advice for under 18's claiming. Camden Council used to have a welfare rights advice team - not sure whether it's survived the cuts. Again, the Mary Ward people do benefits advice.
 
DotCommunist said:
yeah the bloke sounds like a fucking arse and she a heel for having that.

Try looking at night shelters in london- jesus its fucking grim out there at 17 and looking 14. I'm not being funny but can't you give the ma a few words of harsh encouragment? It's jail where he'll end up in this spiral. Jail or worse.
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There can be positive outcomes.. just posted up by Crisis earlier today http://www.independent.co.uk/news/e...udy-law-at-cambridge-university-10453774.html
 
DotCommunist said:
given the cuts to places like YMCA or similar hostels its a joke. I literally saw one young man come from care into hostel, lose his mind and then got himself jailed for a stabbing. He could have been fixed further back down the line. There wouldn't have been any need to fix him if care hadn't traumatised him to such levels of agression and existential rage. A good lad, smart, good taste in music and funny. Chucked back into the grown up version of the system that failed him. Burn them all. Their houses, their cars, their holiday homes and their smug middle class grins. Burn.
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"Their" - who exactly are you referring too? What are your alternatives, other than burning down holiday homes/cars (because everyone who works in the system has those right...of course).

And the young man you refer too...where exactly do you think he should have lived? I don't know his full story, but his parents could take some responsibility maybe??? You think its that easy to "fix" all kids, especially if they've experienced trauma at a young age and what they actually need is nurture? Bear in mind that care homes/hostels are full of people of similar trauma, who may not be ready to deal with their issues until much later on in life, if at all.
 
Puddy_Tat said:
that's something.

although there's still the chance that the housing and social services people will each say it's the other's responsibility...

http://www.marywardlegal.org.uk/legal-advice/housing-advice/ may be worth making a note of. I worked in Camden some time ago, and have a vague recollection they were quite good.

Is he claiming JSA or anything like that? Automatic entitlement to the dole (whatever the heck it was called then) for under 18s was ended some time during the Thatcher / Major years, but according to Turn2Us,

.
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If hes 17yrs old it will be social services responsibility. If there is no chance that mediation will help the situation they will take him on, at least in turn of accommodation.
 
sovereignb said:
"Their" - who exactly are you referring too? What are your alternatives, other than burning down holiday homes/cars (because everyone who works in the system has those right...of course).

And the young man you refer too...where exactly do you think he should have lived? I don't know his full story, but his parents could take some responsibility maybe??? You think its that easy to "fix" all kids, especially if they've experienced trauma at a young age and what they actually need is nurture? Bear in mind that care homes/hostels are full of people of similar trauma, who may not be ready to deal with their issues until much later on in life, if at all.
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yeah I'll bear it in mind having come through a portion of the system, oh wise gandalf.
 
sovereignb said:
You think its that easy to "fix" all kids, especially if they've experienced trauma at a young age and what they actually need is nurture?
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ignorant prick. You know what I meant by it, you just described it. Let me get you a ladder for your high horse so that you may climb down and dispense more wisdom
 
DotCommunist said:
ignorant prick. You know what I meant by it, you just described it. Let me get you a ladder for your high horse so that you may climb down and dispense more wisdom
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defensive prick with no apparent answers but a lot of anger...there really is a funny bunch on this forum
 
sovereignb said:
defensive prick with no apparent answers but a lot of anger...there really is a funny bunch on this forum
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DotCommunist said:
why not jog on then Gandalf? call shadowfax and ride off to where your wisdom is so sorely needed.
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Can you too stop please? It's extremely unhelpful on a support thread such as this one.

Ceej best of luck to you and him, hope all goes well at the appointment x
 
Well, that was an education. I'm sure the Children's Social Care officer won't object if I refer to him as Mr. Cliche of Cliche Street, Clicheville - we could have played buzzword bingo.
There was lots of wriggling going on, and lots of obstacles thrown in the way - including him at one point refusing to speak to me as I wasn't a parent! I asked him how many parents personally bring their thrown-out kids to these kind of meetings to chuck them at the state, but unfortunately he did not have that information at his fingertips. I also asked how many parents provided a letter of estragement - he didn't have that figure either.

Thanks to all the info here, and particularly the steer from renegadechicken (I printed out the Southwark judgement and ostentatiously referred to it several times - to Mr Cliche's annoyance) he's been given temporary accommodation in a hostel for young people in Camden and is being 'assessed' - they were very fluffy about the timescales involved, but I had their assurance that A will be housed for at least the next 28 days. But I'm on the case now.

A says thank you too x
 
You're a fucking star, Ceej :) so glad that A has you on his side :cool:

No idea how any young person would manage to struggle through a situation like this on their own without the outcome looking much, much worse - it's a truly fucking horrendous time to be young. :(
 
D'wards said:
Fucking stepdads (i'm saying this as a stepchild to various cunts and arseholes in my youth)
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This one's a fucking prince - called to let A's mum know where he was, he answered the phone and said that she didn't want to speak to me, and didn't want to know. Only been there a sodding year.:mad::mad::mad::mad:
She's got my number.:(
 
Well done, Ceej! Wish I'd had someone like you looking out for me when I was 16-17 and homeless and told I needed to get a letter from my parents, which was impossible. Spent a lot of time on the streets, then living in a very cheap room but having no money for anything other than rent (and that was when it was easier for kids that age to get work), all while still studying.

I did get decent A-levels at 18 and ended up doing mostly OK though; no forced prostitution or crime for me. Some bad things did happen to me but I dealt with them. It's not all doom and gloom for this lad. Don't let anyone let him think it is. It's still his life and he'll have more control over it in a year or so.
 
scifisam said:
It's not all doom and gloom for this lad. Don't let anyone let him think it is. It's still his life and he'll have more control over it in a year or so.
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Absolutely this - he's a bright, smart lad, and this is a big knock, but that's all. I was living on my own in London at 16, working, renting, sometimes squatting, occasionally homeless...some stuff happened but nothing disastrous. I told him that this isn't the end, it's the beginning.
We're going to keep tabs on him now, but if we can get his accommodation reasonably stable, I'm sure he'll be ok.
 
Though I do feel for the ones without anyone to help them. Mr. Cliche would have been completely happy to have given him a leaflet and sent him out the door, job done and dusted. :mad::mad::mad: Got a high-five from the neph too :D
 
Ceej said:
She's got my number.:(
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She hasn't called :( Her dad, A's grandad, practically wept with relief, and offered to come with me if I need him in future though he isn't very mobile. He's threatening to go round and 'shame some sense' into his daughter, who he says is weak, but stubborn as a mule. No shit :rolleyes:
He's also trying to track down A's very elusive dad, who apparently is an ok bloke, just really flaky and often of no fixed abode.
 
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