Care leaver projects funded by the co-location fund announced
The DCSF has announced the care leaver projects that have successfully bid for funded under the co-location fund. The Housing Capital Fund for care leavers aims to encourage local authorities to develop a range of housing options for care leavers so that they can be supported and prepared to successfully move into more permanent accommodation.
The successful Care Leavers projects
North Lincolnshire: £310k
This bid focuses on increased accommodation for care leavers who are parents. The project would look at improving multi-agency support for young parents.
Wakefield: £1.5million
A good multi-agency approach that focuses on the transition of young people leaving care and moving into more long term permanent independent accommodation. Health and support services will be provided on site.
Leicester City : £2.6million
A refurbishment project that will re-model a YMCA to create flats for care leavers. The building would provide a range of services for care leavers.
Newcastle City Council: £964K
The project focuses on meeting the needs of care leavers by improving the Tyneside Foyer. The improvements identified are based on consultation with a range of stakeholders and service users. The project will provide high quality, safe accommodation that promotes individual choice and inclusion along with a programme of life skills/coaching aimed at improving the positive outcomes for care leavers.
Oldham: £65k (will receive £195k from HCA)
Project would extend supported housing building into 3 to 4 flats and offices. The services would include: Specialist Counsellor, Personal Adviser, Employability Worker and a Health Adviser. Young people will participate in the design of the building.
Pendle(Lancashire) £160k
The four 2-bedroomed properties will be based across the geographical spread of Pendle, which include Colne, Nelson, Barrowford and Brierfield. The reason for such a spread is to ensure care leavers can access supported accommodation within reasonably close proximity to where they have been in care, and where their support networks currently are. They also afford relative easy access to local colleges.
Sutton: £320K
This project will refurbish and convert two bedroom flats into four studios which will provide a small cluster of safe accommodation to deal with emergency situations for care leavers such as placement breakdowns. The project forms part of the authority’s strategy to prevent homelessness and the use of bed and breakfast practice.
Derby City : £325K
The project will provide 3 x 2 bed properties (6 units of supported accommodation) to meet the needs of young people where the Local Authority has a statutory duty.
One of the properties (2 of the units) will be dedicated to looked after children living in family centres or foster placements this property will provide accommodation and a training facility for agencies to assess there support needs. In addition it will also provide transitional accommodation.
The project will
- Help to increase the number of care leavers moving on positively, ensure that they are well prepared for move on and sustain there tenancy.
- Enable the provision of increased levels of development, education and training including preparation for employment.
- Increase the percentage of clients who secure employment.
Bristol City Council: £490k
project will: Create a new 6-bedroom high support housing project for vulnerable/homeless young people, including care leavers, with complex and challenging needs Reburbish an existing 3-bedroom property on the same site, to create a co-located staff base, including offices, counselling and groupwork areas. It is envisaged that all service delivery will be co-located but not that all services will be.
The principal partners for this project are:
- Wayahead Housing and Support - Wayahead is a registered charity and is one of Bristol’s two main providers of housing and support for young people aged 16-25 years.