Getting help as a young person leaving home in a crisis

If you cannot stay in your parents' or carers' home, the council must help you. Tell them that you need somewhere safe to stay.

Who to contact depends on your age:

if you're under 16, contact the social work team
if you're 16 or older, contact the homeless team

If you're at risk of harm

Call the police on 999 if you’re in immediate danger.

If you’re reporting something that happened before or you’re worried could happen later, call them on 101.

You can also:

call the free 24-hour Childline helpline on 0800 1111 for support and advice if you're 18 or under
call the free 24-hour National Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline Scotland on 0800 027 1234
call Victim Support Scotland if you've been affected by a crime on freephone 0800 160 1985, Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm

Help with problems at home

If you're having conflict with your parents or carers, you can ask a mediator to help you talk to them.

Mediators will not force you to do anything you do not want to do. They can help you agree on next steps like:

whether you’ll return home
if you’ll return home temporarily until you can find somewhere else to live
whether you and your family or carers will stay in contact

You’ll meet with the mediator first and they’ll get your permission to contact your family or carers.

Finding a mediator

Some councils offer mediation services for families. Find your local council’s website on mygov.scot.

If the council does not offer this service, find a mediator on the Scottish Mediation website.

Getting help if you’re homeless

If you’re 16 or over and forced to leave home, the council must give you somewhere safe to stay.

You do not have to be living on the streets to be homeless. Homelessness can mean sofa-surfing, staying with friends or living somewhere where you're not safe.

Check our advice on how to make a homeless application.

If the council is refusing to help you, contact a Shelter Scotland adviser.

Check your housing options

If you're 16 or older and you want to leave home, check our advice on:

You can also check our advice on your housing options if:

Last updated: 24 July 2024