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Find information about preparing for your independent life:
If you want to do more for yourself or you're thinking about moving into your own home, there are many ways to learn new skills.
Find more information about these skills and how you can learn them:
There are several ways you can help yourself to stay safe. these include:
There is also a variety of equipment and services available to support you to keep safe, in and out of your home. Find out more about disabled adaptations.
SAIL can support you to stay safe and living independently. The support can include:
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service offer Safe and Well visits. This is where they visit your home for free to help you make your home safer.
They can fit free smoke alarms, and give you safety advice. This includes topics like cooking safely and what to do if there is a fire.
Contact Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue to arrange a visit.
Find information about how to stay safe on the internet.
Find out how assistive technology could help you to live more independently.
With your own bank account you can:
You could have a look online for information or speak to your parent, carer, a family member or friend for advice. They can help you research banks and find out which would best meet your needs.
It's best to visit the bank so you can chat to a member of staff. You could bring a family member or friend with you for support.
See the Money Advice Service guidance on opening a bank account. This includes advice on choosing the right account and how to manage it.
Speak to your parent, carer or your social worker if you're struggling to manage your money and they can organise support.
This could include:
To help you budget your money, use the Money Advice Service budget planners. These can help you:
Not everybody has the capacity to make decisions about and manage their own money. If you've had a mental capacity assessment and you don't have capacity, you will need somebody to manage your money for you:
The person could be:
This will be decided by a court. Some people will charge you for this service.
All the decisions that this person makes will have to be in your best interest.
Find information and advice about preventing financial abuse from the Money Advice Service.