National Youth Homelessness Scheme
Case Study 4: Education, Mediation and Lifeskills package: Designing the Project - Fylde and Wyre
Subject: Action Learning
Organisation:
YMCA England, Fylde BC, Wyre BC & Fylde Coast YMCA (external links)
Project outline
A wide range of services and resources are provided by Fylde Coast YMCA to the young people of Fylde and Wyre. Homelessness services include a foyer, some education / prevention work in schools, supported accommodation and a rent bond scheme. However, the YMCA and its two partner local authorities consider that services currently available are, to an extent, reactive rather than proactive - and in light of local and national targets, there is an opportunity to develop prevention work considerably.
Fylde Coast YMCA's Action Learning Centre project comprises three core areas of activity. These are the development of an education programme based on prevention and early intervention, the establishment of a wider lifeskills training scheme, and the expansion of existing mediation and conciliation services.
One full time Project Manager, one part time Intervention Worker and one trainee young person will be appointed to carry out this work. All workers will operate across both boroughs, and the Project Manager will have responsibility for ensuring the service has equal capacity in both boroughs.
Education programme
The programme aims to develop the existing programme of homelessness awareness raising and prevention as integral part of school PSHE lessons.
Outcomes for young people will include:
- Increased basic skills
- Greater understanding of homelessness issues, including prevention and advice.
The programme will be delivered to four targeted schools through a total of 16 sessions throughout the year.
The education programme will be about delivering useful and relevant lessons to young people regarding the realities of homelessness and maintaining a tenancy. The difference will be that these lessons will consist of a core programme which can then be developed on according to the needs of the participants. Young people will acquire valuable knowledge whilst receiving the 'wrap around' benefit of understanding more about homelessness.
Mediation and conciliation
The project will also aim to explore opportunities for earlier intervention in the form of mediation and conciliation. This aspect of the work will be particularly focused on learning and identifying potential for service development. and will take place in partnership with appropriate agencies in order to provide a young person-focused service.
Outcomes for young people will include:
- Opportunity to rebuild important family networks
- Will enable some young people to return home permanently - others until they can make a planned move.
Mediation and conciliation can often be an effective solution to a complex set of problems, particularly when those problems relate to the breakdown of family relationships. Whilst Fylde Coast YMCA already provides mediation to young people in its accommodation schemes, the Action Learning Centre proposes to consider methods of making mediation available at an earlier stage. The work will also involve the development of existing partnerships in order to offer young people a variety of solutions within the 'mediation and conciliation' theme.
Lifeskills training
A number of lifeskills courses currently exist in the project area - the aim of this part of the Action Learning work will be to draw these together to create one standard course.
Outcomes for young people will include:
- Increased confidence and ability through development of lifeskills and completion of course
- Increased access to private rented sector through partner landlords on completion of course.
One lifeskills training course will be developed, and 20 young peoples' personal preventative plans implemented during the year.
Young people who have been accepted as homeless once often find themselves in a spiral of the same issues for a second time, which can give rise to repeat homelessness. Often, such issues are related to a lack of understanding around how to maintain a tenancy. The lifeskills training scheme targets this problem. Young people will be offered the opportunity of participating once they have been accepted as homeless. The scheme will be specifically tailored to each individual's needs, targeting areas such as budgeting, benefits, and employment, aiming to develop the necessary skills to successfully maintain a tenancy in the future. In the longer term options for accrediting the scheme will be explored, and private sector landlords encouraged to recognise the resulting qualification. This will make it easier for holders of the accreditation to obtain tenancies in the private rented sector, and will give landlords peace of mind that their tenants are fully able to maintain the tenancy.
Project management
Fylde Coast YMCA will be directly responsible for the delivery of the Action Learning Centre projects, with a senior manager placed in each borough to implement this.
Fylde and Wyre Councils will be represented alongside the YMCA on the Action Learning Centre steering group, Communities and Local Government, as funding partners, will observe the work of the Action Learning Centre and YMCA England will facilitate co-ordination and networking between this scheme and the five others. Fylde Coast YMCA and Fylde and Wyre Councils will jointly gather quarterly performance data which is then reported to Communities and Local Government.
Wider partners and groups monitoring the work of the Action Learning Centre will include the Local Strategic Partnership, Wyre Homelessness Forum and Fylde Homeless Action Group.
Budget
£30,000 of Communities and Local Government Homelessness Grant has been made available for this project, which has been match funded by Wyre Borough Council (£15,000) and Fylde Borough Council (£15,000), resulting in a total budget of £60,000.
