National Youth Homelessness Scheme
Case Study 3: Early Intervention Scheme: Designing the Project - Wakefield
Subject: Action Learning
Organisation:
YMCA England, Wakefield Council (external link), Chantry YMCA
Project Outline
Wakefield Council, in partnership with Chantry YMCA, offer an effective prevention service to young people including mediation, housing options advice and support for parents. However where prevention fails, outcomes are less certain. Whilst the Council provides good quality alternatives to B+B through private rented and RSL accommodation, there remains a shortage of specialist support for young people and placements frequently fail. There is a clear need for age-appropriate support and accommodation.
Chantry YMCA's Action Learning Centre project is focused on joint work between the YMCA and Wakefield Council to develop a holistic service for 16 and 17 year olds, where homeless young people are provided with suitable accommodation and age appropriate support outside the normal homeless route.
Early Intervention Scheme overall
The Early Intervention Scheme aims to bring together services to provide a high quality 'end to end' service for homeless young people. Wakefield MDC's Open Door Project (homeless unit) will refer to the scheme clients at risk of becoming homeless though a range of circumstances including family and relationship breakdown. At this stage an initial risk and needs assessment will have been carried out and the prevention team will have already engaged with the young person (and their parents where appropriate).
Following referral, the Scheme's two Support Workers will facilitate and co ordinate access for the young person to a number of key services, outlined below. They will aim to provide a tailor-made service to each of the 20 young people on their caseload. The objective will be to prevent young people from becoming homeless and find them a suitable accommodation solution - it is envisaged that a minimal number of service users will find it necessary to make a homeless presentation.
Key Services
Accommodation
Through a comprehensive assessment of needs, the project will aim to secure suitable and safe accommodation for each young person. Other aspects of support and personal development offered by the project may open up additional accommodation options to the young person, and will definitely empower them to develop new skills which can be used in all areas of life.
Outcomes for young people will include:
- Reintegration into the family home where appropriate
- Placement in another more suitable form of accommodation such as supported lodgings, hostel accommodation or a private rented property.
Support
The scheme will aim to offer young people support in a variety of different areas according to the issues predominant in their life which are preventing them from successfully maintaining their tenancy.
Outcomes for young people will include:
- Patience and maturity which enable them to discuss problems and rebuild family relationships
- Ongoing personal development
- Increased skills and ability to maintain a tenancy.
The service will be intensive and frequent, with support sessions provided to each client on a regular basis. Support will include:
- Personalised Housing Plans which analyse and plan provision of support;
- Mediation;
- Assessment and commitment to a subsequent support contract;
- Links to related support (for example around transition to adulthood).
Mediation
Mediation will aim to retain a young person's accommodation or return them to the family home (where appropriate, following a risk assessment). This may include provision of a short respite break in supported lodgings or other appropriate accommodation.
Outcomes for young people will include:
- Re-established family relationships and support network
- Increased confidence and self-worth as relationships are rebuilt
- Greater understanding and development of skills such as compromise and reasoning.
Homelessness prevention staff in Wakefield already provide some mediation and this will continue - it is envisaged that more preventative mediation will be undertaken by the Support Workers, and more effective links will be made into and out of, this service.
Project Management
Chantry YMCA will hold direct responsibility for the successful delivery of this project. Wakefield BC will provide additional guidance and support as and when required, including the provision of some statistical monitoring information.
From a local perspective, wider project management will be facilitated by an operational partnership management group which will report to the multi-agency Homelessness Strategy Implementation Group, the Young People's Strategic Housing Group and Chantry YMCA's Board through the CEO.
As part-funder, Communities and Local Government will also oversee the work of the Action Learning Centre, and YMCA England will facilitate co-ordination and networking between this scheme and the five others.
Budget
£51,000 of Communities and Local Government Homelessness Grant has been made available for this project, which has been match funded by Wakefield MDC (£51,000) resulting in a total budget of £102,000.
