Passport to Independent Living

Introduction The aim of this booklet is to prepare you for living independently and help you feel more confident about moving on to a new stage of your life. In the booklet there are a number of sections for you to complete which will involve skills and activities such as managing your money, food and cooking, health and wellbeing, interacting with other people and more.

Living in your own flat or house may seem exciting and grown up, you may feel apprehensive about it and this is perfectly natural. If you are used to living with lots of other people and having things done for you then the prospect of living on your own might seem quite lonely or you might be looking forward to having some peace and quiet!

However you feel about moving on it can be a big step and it does come with increased responsibility so knowing how to deal with these new issues and where to get information will help you make the best of it.

Where are you now? Below are a number of tasks and activities, you will be asked to rate yourself on some. Try to be as honest as possible. Looking back over your answers will show how well you think you can handle each task.

Rating scale: 1 - Can’t complete this task without support 2 - Gaining confidence but still needs support 3 - Nearly there, just need some support 4 - Can complete this independently, without support

Food SkillsIt’s not all about cooking skills it’s also about knowing how to store different types of food safely and effectively.

How do you store fresh food properly (for example milk, cheese and yoghurts)? Please give examples of other places to store different types of food (for example, meat, bread, tinned foods etc) .

Can you cook a meal, using ingredients, for yourself?

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Please give an example of a meal you have cooked for yourself this week. How good did it taste? Rate how you did.

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Where do you find use by dates on products? Please show your worker where you would find these and get them to sign below that you have shown them. Where are the use by dates?

Do you know how to eat healthily? List below some healthy meals you have eaten this week.

Can you defrost food independently? Please write how you do this.

How do you reheat food? Please write how you do this.

Task 1: Think of a meal you have cooked before/what you would like to cook… What ingredients will you need? Please list.

Task 2: Make the meal you’ve talked about. Go to the shops and buy in the ingredients. Prepare and produce your meal.

Task 3: When the meal has been made, get someone to try your tasty dish! Let them write what they thought of your meal here.

Personal Hygiene It’s all about you… do you really know how to look after yourself?

What is hygiene? Please write what it means to you.

How often should you wash? How often do you wash?

What hygiene products do you need to use on a regular basis? Can you get these within your budget? Please list how much the products will cost.

What are the stages of doing laundry? (This includes knowing how to use the washing machine and drying your clothes.)

Can you use an iron? Please write how often have you done this.

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How often should you brush your teeth? Please write how often you brush them.

Within budget, could you use the local hairdressers?

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Have you ever booked your own appointment?

Yes No Please write how much a haircut would cost.

How often should you change your bed sheets? Do you ever change your own?

Yes No

Task 1: Make a list of all the products you need to use on a regular basis.

Task 2: Go to the shops and see where you could buythese products at their cheapest. Write downhow much the productscost that you will need.

Task 3: Take off your bed sheetsand take them to thewashing machine. Washyour bedding, dry it andthen place the sheetsback on.

HealthYou may know how to look after your house but can you look after your health?

Are you registered with a GP? If yes how did you do this? If no please write how you would you do this?

Yes No

Would you know how to register with a GP if you were to move house? How would you do this? What documents will you need?

Yes No

Do you know about drug awareness? Please write a service and number where you may go to receive help with drug use.

Yes No

You may know how to take your own medication but it is important to know how to contact other medical services. Do you know who to contact for sexual health issues? Please write who you might contact.

Yes No

Do you know how to access a chemist? Have you been to a chemist and got a prescription?

Yes No

Do you exercise on a regular basis? Give examples of when you exercise.

Yes No

On average how much fruit and vegetables do you eat per week? Please list which fruit and vegetables you have eaten this week.

Task 1: How do you feel after you have exercised? If good, why do you feel like this? If not so good, how could you improve this?

Task 2: If you exercise regularly go out and do whatever exercise you like to do for half an hour or so. If you don’t exercise regularly, go for a walk for half an hour.

Task 3: When you get back, write how you feel.

Maintaining your propertyMaintaining your property is your responsibility. Keeping the property in good condition will make you feel proud about your own space.

Do you use cleaning products? Please list five items you would use then show your worker where you would find the instructions and safety directions.

Please get them to sign here.

Have you ever painted and decorated? Who/where might you ask for help with this?

Yes No

Can you change a light bulb safely? Yes No

Please show your worker how you would do this and get them to sign.

Do you know how to fix an electrical appliance if it breaks? For example, would you learn to fix things yourself or ask someone else to fix it?

Yes No

Demonstrate to your worker what you would do to get things fixed.

Do you know how to change a fuse? Please write how you would do this. Yes No

What would you do if something breaks? What options have you got? Who might you contact?

Task 1: Look around your home and see if anything is broken. Try and fix the broken appliance/piece of furniture/object. How did you do?

Task 2: Find a place where you live where your friends/family/carers all go. Tidy up the area and make sure everything is clean, tidy and all appliances are working correctly.

Task 3: Find as many cleaning products as you can. See which products are used for different surfaces and rooms.

Safely: mop the floor, hoover, dust, clean the toilet. Clean the surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom.

Friends It is important that you have time to spend with your friends. Why do you think this is important? Which friends are important to you?

Do you feel you can say ‘no’ to people if you are not happy with the way they are behaving? Write how you do this.

Yes No

Can you tell which friends you would be able to trust when they are in your home and that they would behave?

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And do you know which friends you couldn’t trust as much and who may cause problems if they were in your home? If friends were in your home and causing trouble how would you handle this?

Are you aware of the consequences of noise being too loud? List the consequences involved when you make too much noise.

Are you confident in asking people to leave your flat if you needed to? Write how you would you go about this. 1 2 3 4

What problems might happen if you have regular parties? List 3 examples.

Where could you go and spend time with friends and meet new people away from your flat? List some places you could go.

Task 1: Make a list of people you would feel happy to have over at your house. Are there any people who you wouldn’t want in your house? List reasons why you wouldn’t want certain people in your flat.

Task 2: Have you got friends who are in their own tenancies? Go and chat with friends who are in their own homes and find out things that they enjoy and things they don’t enjoy about living on their own.

Task 3:Think of a time when you had to confront a friend about something. How did you feel? How did you move on from it?

Contacting ServicesLiving independently involves contacting services on your own? Can you do this? Yes No

Have you ever contacted a service (such as a housing organisation or benefit office) on your own by phone or in person? Yes No

If yes please write the name and number of the service.

What services might you need to contact when moving in and during your tenancy? Please provide 10 examples.

Do you know where you can go to get free advice (for example about housing or sexual health)? List examples.

Do you know how drop in centres work? Can you give an example of a drop in service (for example opening times, gathering leaflets)?

Have you ever filled in an application form? How did you find this? Give an example of a form you have filled in.

Do you feel confident contacting different services yourself to ask for help/support? Give an example.

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Who might you contact for housing advice? Have you done this before? Write the number you would call for housing advice.

Who might you contact for benefit advice? Have you done this before? Please write the number you would call for benefit advice.

Task 1:Go to a local drop in service so that you can gather information about the service. Pick up leaflets and ask staff questions.

Task 2:When you are there, pick up any application form. Take it home and practice filling one in. Show your worker the finished form.

Task 3:Make a list of numbers you might need to use in an emergency. How do you contact the police?

Education and Employment SkillsEducation and employment opportunities are out there and these will benefit your future. Are you currently employed, in full time education or doing a training course? Please list.

Do you feel you need extra qualifications to do the job you want in the future?

Yes No If yes please list which ones.

Where you are working or what education setting you are attending?

Do you know how to search for jobs and courses?

Yes No Write an example how you do this.

Do you have any qualifications? Yes NoIf yes please list which ones.

Opportunities are out there and these will benefit your future. Do you have access to your previous qualification certificates? Yes No

Please show your worker your certificates and get them to sign here.

Are you aware of where to receive help with finding a job or course? Yes No Please give an example.

Are you able to get to a job/college within your budget? Yes No

Provide an example what travel would be in your budget and how much it would cost.

Do you know how to apply for a job? Yes No Please write an example how you would you do this.

Task 1:Think about your ‘dream job’. What is it? Why do you want to do that job? Have you got an experience in this field?

Task 2:Think about what qualifications you need to take on this job. List all qualifications that you would need including experience you already have.

Task 3:Use the local newspaper, look for adverts while you’re out and about, use the internet and wherever else is available and complete a job search. List the jobs you have found and discuss what is available in your preferred area of work.

TIP: Have you got an up to date CV? Having an up to date CV is an essential for you to have for potential jobs.

Securing your property It’s not all about locks…what about insurance?

Do you know what contents insurance is? How would you find out how much it costs?

Do you know what items will be covered if you need to make a claim? Please list items which you think will be covered.

If you have to make a claim on your contents insurance what situations might mean that you are not covered?

Are you aware of services that provide extra security for your property? What could you do to secure your property more than just locking the door?

Do you feel able to leave a spare key with someone you trust? Who would you leave it with?

Would you know who to contact if you lose your keys to your property? What would you do if you needed the locks changed?

Do you know how to use a burglar alarm? Yes No

Please write how you do this and do you feel confident doing it?

Do you know about the importance of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors?Why do you need them fitted?

Task 1:Take a look around your home. Make a list of potential dangers or locate places where people could break in.

Task 2:How could you make these areas safer? Please write how you could improve the security of the place you are currently staying.

Task 3:Do you have your own set of keys? How do you make sure they are safe at all times? Next time you are out and about, take a note of where your keys are (bag, pocket) and how you keep them safe.

TIP: Did you know you can get smoke detectors fitted for free by the fire and rescue service?

FinanceRunning your own property can be costly. That’s why it is important to budget appropriately for all your needs.

Do you have a bank account? Yes NoIf yes please write which bank you are with.

If you don’t have one what do you need to do to get one? What documents will you need to take with you?

If you don’t have a bank account do you feel you could go and set one up independently? What problems might occur in setting one up?

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What might happen if you lose your bank card? What will you need to do?

Running your own property can be costly. That’s why it is important to budget appropriately for all your needs. What can go wrong/what problems might happen if you set up a direct debit?

Do you know where the cheaper shops are in order to buy all the food you need? Where will you go to do your shopping?

Do you know how to pay your bills? Please list some ways of paying a bill and list the bills you will have to pay (electricity, for example).

How much money will you be receiving when you live independently?

Place the items in the box that you think they belong in.

Xbox 360, mugs, kettle, curtains, toaster, food, shopping, bed, electricity, coffee table, picture frame, smoke alarm, gas, plates/cutlery, wardrobe, lamp, HD tv, mobile phone, ironing board, tea and coffee, cushions and shoes.

Things you can buy withyour leaving care grant

Things you can’t buy with the leaving care grant

Things you need to buywith weekly money

How much money will you have to spend per week?

How much leaving care grant will you receive?

Congratulations!

You have now completed all the tasks in ‘Passport to Independent Living.’ We hope that you now feel better prepared to live independently.

Notes