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Care Leavers in Scotland - Housing and Accomodation
This report documents the thoughts and opinions of care leavers in Scotland in relation to their experiences of housing and accomodation.
Care Leavers Voices on housing and accommodation
1. Workshops facilitated by young people from the Debate Project @ STAF National conference 14th November 2008
The research undertaken involved:
16 young people
7 males
9 females
The young people were from various geographical locations around Scotland including Aberdeen, Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Perth and Kinross and West Dunbartonshire.
The young people broke up into four groups each discussing one recommendation from the Sweet 16 report.
Recommendation 15
‘Young People should not be placed in hostels for the homeless’
The young people in this group discussed what they saw as both positive and negative arguments for placing young people in hostel accommodation. From a positive stance they felt that hostels could provide young people with ‘independence’ and ‘a roof over your head’. However the negative comments seemed to outweigh the positive. These included only having a ‘small space (1 room)’ to live in. ‘No cooking facilities’ and ‘no storage for food’. The young people also discussed how their independence was restricted through ‘time limits – be in before 10 pm’. A major worry for young people was being forced to live with ‘junkies’ and ‘alkies’. As well as the worry of living with individuals with drug and alcohol problems young people also discussed ‘temptation’ and the fear of picking up these habits themselves.
Recommendation 16
‘As corporate parents, local authorities should make provision for care leavers to be able to return for short periods of support, preferably to the accommodation they had before leaving care’
Young people felt this could have a really positive impact on their lives. From talking to young people there was a mixture of experiences. Some were able to go back to their old accommodation and others weren’t.
Their comments were:
‘I feel safe when (I’m with my) carer’
When I go back ‘I ken every 1 around me’
If you can go back ‘you can get support when you get a job/college’
It’s good to be able to ‘go back for help and support’
‘It’s important’
It ‘makes you feel wanted’
Recommendation 14
‘Young People should not be placed in Bed and Breakfast accommodation. The Homeless Persons (Unsuitable Accommodation) (Scotland) Order effectively bans the use of such accommodation for families with children. The Scottish Government should consider banning its use for young people leaving care’
The majority of young people in this group had at some point lived in B&Bs. Their experience had been largely negative. Comments made were ‘I wouldn’t want to stay in a B&B’, ‘B&Bs should be banned’, ‘I would rather stay in a council house’. When asked whether they would rather stay in a B&B or in a Homeless Hostel the majority of the group said they would rather stay in a Bed and Breakfast. This should not be taken as a reflection that B&B accommodation is acceptable but that unsupported Homeless Hostel accommodation can be an even more unsuitable option.
Recommendation 4
‘Workers and young people should be given clear statements of young people’s rights on leaving care and how to pursue them’
Comments were:
‘I think young people should know more’.
Young people need ‘more support towards independence while still in care to stop crisis’s occurring’.
Young people should have ‘more support from their old foster carers’
Young people should have the right to make sure that the accommodation they are moving in to is habitable.
Young people wanted more advice about ‘benefits and what you’re due!!’
Some young people weren’t sure where they could find out about their rights one young person suggested Shelter.
Young people felt they needed more support around how to budget properly and stop people they didn’t want to coming in to their homes.
Young people wanted ‘more aftercare for home leavers’ and ‘more support from social workers’.
Young people wanted ‘more time to prepare for independence’
Young people felt that workers should encourage and support young people to ‘look at areas where support is easily accessed e.g. family, friends’. Help young people become more aware of the support that already exists, workers may need to support young people to build up these links if they have been broken for example through being taken into care or out of their original geographical location.
Young people also felt that they should have ‘throughcare contact at a younger age to help with becoming independent’
2. Care leaver’s discussions @ Debate Project team meeting 2nd September 2008
Feedback from young people discussing accommodation issues:
- You should have to stay in care until you are 18 unless there is strong evidence to prove otherwise.
- There should be more intensive support
- More supported flats – these should not be all in one block as young people may be targeted.
- Care leavers should move into flats with older care leavers – Peer support
- Care leavers should get to know people they are going to live with before they move in.
- There should be visiting support – everyday – workers should also stay over if need be.
- The focus of support should be more on emotional/mental stability not practical skills.
- Those who work with young people in care should make them feel believed in/cared about/listened to and understood.
- Workers should be proud of you and tell you that they are.
- Workers – need more of them and they need more training.
- Separate housing for care leavers not staying in accommodation with people who aren’t care leavers.
- Young people should not go down homeless route.
3. Discussions from Debate Project Scottish Care Leavers event Saturday 18th April 2009
Scenario
‘This young person has just left care and moved in to her own flat while still attending high school’
Q. How do you think she feels?
Feedback from Young People
‘She might feel alone, or she might feel scared or she might feel ok, it depends on the person’
‘Hopeful’
‘I think that she feels scared because she is by herself’
‘Excited but scared’
‘Happy but alone’
‘She will feel lonely’
‘Lonely, scared, overwhelmed, excited’
‘Lonely, angry, suicidal’
‘Independent and free’
‘Suicidal’
‘Alone’
Q. What support does she need?
Feedback from young people
‘Support assistance and help with school’
‘Someone to talk to – a social worker’
‘Emotional support’
‘Educational support’
‘Financial support’
‘Help with money and budgeting’
‘Lots of advice’
‘Support moving in to the flat and making it her home’
‘Friends, financial support, encouragement, living skills’
‘She will require daily visits and someone to check her educational progress’
‘Budgeting help and help to cope in a flat herself’
Q. What situations may arise if she doesn’t receive the right help and support?
Feedback from young people
‘She might find it hard to get a job’
‘She could lose the flat’
‘She could be asked to leave her home or she might not be able to cope’
‘She will drop out of school’
‘Might become depressed’
‘Become lonely’ ‘Drop out of school, debt, eviction, depression’
‘She might not be able to afford the bills, rent and food’
‘She might not get good exam grades’
‘She might not be able to balance living alone with going to school and leave with no qualifications’
‘Kill herself because she feels lonely’
‘Become unhappy and withdrawn’
