Warwickshire County Council is one of five local authorities who have set up their own Local House Project, an initiative designed to support young care leavers to transition successfully to indepe...
Warwickshire County Council is one of five local authorities who have set up their own Local House Project, an initiative designed to support young care leavers to transition successfully to independent living.
As part of National House Project (NHP), a registered charity funded by the Department for Education, these local schemes recognise that moving from care to independent living is not always a positive experience for young people and that local authorities needed to ‘do’ leaving care better.
The House Project is an initiative that was originally developed in Stoke-on-Trent where ten young people were mentored and supported to move into their own homes. The young people became council tenants and can remain in the home they have created for as long as they want to be there.
Over the past year Warwickshire County Council has helped seven young people to move into their own homes by providing life-skills and a strong support network. There are a further 20 young people who are keen to embark upon this journey and the council is working with them to provide suitable accommodation, life-skills and support to help them live independently.
Councillor Jeff Morgan, Portfolio Holder, Children’s Services said:
“Living alone for the first time is daunting for any of us, but particularly so for care leavers who may not have the support of family members and will embark on this journey at a much earlier age than most young adults. As a result, some young people stay in care for longer than they either need or want to.
"The Local House Project will enable them to move into their own home while getting support to develop the practical and emotional skills that they need to live independently and to make their house a home."
Emily*, a 17-year-old care leaver from Atherstone said:
“Thanks to the House Project I am now much more confident with cooking and managing my finances. It’s really helped me to move on and build a life for myself.”
Tom*, an 18-year-old care leaver from Nuneaton said:
“My foster carers have been amazing so now I’m keen to development my skills so that I can leave their care and live independently and someone else will be able to be helped by them.”
For more information visit: https://thehouseproject.org/
*Names have been changed