Praise for project supporting care leavers to live independently
Joe Lepper
Wednesday, November 4, 2020
An initiative offering care leavers intensive support to move into new homes successfully prepares them for independent living, a new evaluation has found.
Emotional advice, peer support and practical help on living independently are offered to care leavers who access the House Project.
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The project is run by the charity National House Project, which supports care leavers in Islington, Oxfordshire, Doncaster, Rotherham, Stoke, Wolverhampton, Midlothian, Fife and East Dunbartonshire.
More than half (53 per cent) of those offered this targeted support successfully moved into new homes, the evaluation found.
“There was little unexpected movement and no evidence of evictions or homelessness, suggesting stability in the early months post-care,” added the evaluation, by academics at the University of York.
The cost of delivering the House Project is £1.3m. This represents a saving in the long term, by helping ensure care leavers lives have stability, found the evaluation. For every £1 invested in the project there is a potential saving of £2.
Young people involved were also positive about the help they received and had a sense of optimism about independent living although, “this could be accompanied by some trepidation about living alone or feeling lonely”, added the evaluation.
One care leaver told researchers: “When I first moved in I was excited [because] obviously, wow, there's this new space and it's all mine, but at the same time there was a sense of uneasiness cos I hadn't lived by myself before at all. It was a bit of a scary experience I can't lie, the first couple nights."
The evaluation focused on its work with young people leaving care across five council areas. Of these four offered sole occupancy for care leavers within the project, while one provided shared accommodation.
Most said they preferred to live on their own as this gave them more “freedom, personal space, creating a home of their own and the perception that it offered greater stability in the long term”, the evaluation found.
Commenting on the project, one care leavers’ personal assistant added: “My young person feels more confident in their ability to manage independently. They have enjoyed living with other young people, they are supportive of each other and enjoy each other's company. This has improved his sense of belonging, and improved his integration into the local community.”
Another aspect of the initiative is the formation of a ‘House Project community’ in each area, which encourages care leavers involved to support each other and form friendships. This gave young people “a sense of collective identity” and “access to an immediate support network to reduce the risk of isolation and loneliness”, found the evaluation.
“The feedback from the young people who took part in the interviews and focus groups emphasised the significant impact the House Project has had on their lives and is a proven way for them to find stability,” said National House Project chair David Brookes.
“The heart of the project lies in ensuring access to a support system where they can make meaningful connections which they are able to rely on in times of difficulty and to share positive experiences with.”