News / Lottery win to help youngsters leaving care
SHETLAND’S Hjaltland Housing Association is launching a ground breaking scheme to help young people leaving care to live on their own after winning £350,000 from the Big Lottery Fund.
The association is working with the local authority and other agencies to set up The Hub Project, which could help as many as 35 young people aged 14 to 17 over the next three years.
The project will provide temporary accommodation for four youngsters and an activity centre to learn the skills needed for independent living.
Hjaltland HA will take on two new staff to work alongside council social workers providing 24 hour a day support at the hub.
A council building in Lerwick currently being used for temporary accommodation will be refurbished to create the centre using a £40,000 grant from the Scottish government’s Wider Role Fund.
The hub will incorporate shared accommodation for two young people and their support staff.
The housing association is providing a further two flats in Lerwick for those young people who are more capable of looking after themselves prior to finding permanent accommodation.
Housing services manager Fiona Robertson said that Shetland shared the rest of Scotland’s problems with vulnerable young people leaving a care home like Lerwick’s Leog House, or foster care.
“It is recognised nationally that young people coming out of care are the least successful at making the transition to holding a long term tenancy or maintaining a full time job,” she said.
She said that discussions with the council and other agencies like the Bridges Project, Moving On and the alcohol and drugs service had shown that there was “a real gap” catering for young folk coming out of care, who are vulnerable and often end up leading chaotic lifestyles.
Hjaltland has identified 17 young people who will be coming out of care over the next three years, and a further 18 who will be approaching that age and could use support, advice and training.
Ms Robertson said other housing associations in Scotland provided a similar service, which helped them make sure they had responsible tenants in the future.
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