At Housing First for Youth we bridge the gap between a young person leaving the care system and being ready to live independently within the community. This can be a very turbulent time and our job is to support these young people as they navigate early adulthood, providing the support they need to build a more stable future.
Having your own home and space to grow is so important: this is what really drives our work at Simon Community.
Recently I was asked to complete a case review about one of our young people for his local health trust. I was surprised at the impact it had on me, seeing his journey mapped out in black and white.
This young man came to us at 17. He was struggling in different care placements and children’s homes, exhibiting violent and abusive behaviours to himself and others, using drugs, carrying weapons and participating in some very high-risk behaviours.
Re-reading emails from around that time it was clear this was a young person with very complex needs. We really had no idea how things would unfold and it would have been easy to assume his path was already mapped out for him.
He was placed in a property in an unfamiliar area and had no real experience of managing his own money or home. But one thing became clear very quickly: this young person was determined and full of drive and ambition.
In the four years since he walked into our service, he has flourished into who he was meant to be - a kind, respectful, lovely person with a successful full time job, a stable and healthy relationship, good connections with family and a determination to succeed. On reflection I think what he needed at 17 was freedom to make his own choices, have agency over his life and be supported when making decisions, rather than being told to accept his lot.
As is the case with many children and young adults exiting care, it can often look very bleak. Our young people often express a lack of hope for the future and it’s easy to understand why.
This transition to ‘adulthood’ from care is a grey area which is rarely acknowledged, and I believe is the whole reason for services like ours to exist at all. It’s within this grey area, when services are scaled back, when there are funding cuts that impact people’s lives, that things start to fall through the cracks – when people start to fall through the cracks. Housing First is a vital safety net. We catch things that fall through the cracks and help piece something back together: something better.
We’re passionate about bridging this gap for our young people. Every day our support workers walk out of the door into the community, and sometimes into the unknown, to make sure these young people feel seen and supported. We will be there for as long as is needed, and in many different forms, until that young person feels empowered enough to move on without us.
Being present in a person’s life when they’re standing at a crossroads is a thing of value. Being able to guide our young people is a privilege not lost on me or the team. Our biggest achievements are in the hands of our young people, striving to make a life for themselves when the odds are stacked against them.
Maybe all it takes is a little support.
To hear directly from Simon Community's young people watch the video below.