Addressing Youth Homelessness in Scotland: A Way Home Coalition's Initiatives
A Way Home Scotland is dedicated to reducing and eradicating youth homelessness in Scotland by collaborating with various organizations and professionals. They focus on developing preventive pathways for groups at highest risk, such as care leavers, youth from the LGBT community, and those with adverse childhood experiences. The coalition's efforts include producing guidance and recommendations to improve support for care leavers and aligning with the High-Level Action Plan to end youth homelessness effectively.
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& Youth Homelessness Prevention Pathways Sabrina.Galella@rocktrust.org www.awayhomescotland.org @AWayHomeScot
A Way Home Scotland aims to reduce and eradicate youth homelessness in Scotland. The coalition encourages and supports organisations and professionals working in the fields of housing, homelessness, education, youth work, families, health and justice to address youth homelessness in their locality.
Why youth homelessness In 2018/19 6,996 young people registered as homeless That is almost 25% of the entire Scottish homeless population. But young people represent only 11% of the nation s total population! 19% 41% 11% Asked to leave Violent dispute with household Relationship breakdown
The HPSG has tasked the Coalition with developing preventive pathways for groups at highest risk, looking particularly at: Young people with experience of the care system or on leaving the care system Young people from the LGBT community Young people with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
Youth Homelessness Prevention Pathway for Care Leavers A multi-agency working group, coordinated by the A Way Home Scotland coalition, has produced guidance and recommendations to make support for care leavers more consistent across Scotland and easier for care providers. This report was developed to improve the housing journey of care leavers in Scotland and is the result of work between May and September 2019, which included assessment of the problem, ambition, activity, partnerships, and implementation process required for improvement. A multi-agency working group, which includes local authorities, health and social care partnerships, the DWP, homeless organisations and children's charities, was chaired by CELCIS and coordinated by the A Way Home Scotland coalition produced the report, which contains key recommendations to make support for care leavers more consistent across Scotland. The working group has engaged closely with the Independent Care Review to ensure recommendations and advice set out in this paper are in line with the direction of travel the Review is taking.
Ending homelessness Together High Level Action Plan (2018) commits to prevent and respond effectively to end youth homelessness. Scottish Policy and Legislative Context Staying Put Scotland young people are encouraged, enabled and empowered to remain in care for longer. Housing Options Protocols for Care Leavers assist corporate parents to ensure there are suitable options to meet the housing needs of care leavers. Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 sets out duties and responsibilities for corporate parents. UNCRC Art.20 states that care experienced young people shall be entitled to special protection and assistance.
1) Young people with experience of care are over- represented in homelessness applications than their peers. 30-50% of individuals who are homeless could be care experienced. 2) There is a gap in official data, so it is hard to determine the full picture of homelessness for people with experience of care. Two official statistics Rely on self-declaration Do not include other forms of homelessness 3) Young people with experience of care face significant challenges at a much earlier stage in life than their peers. Leaving care too young No capacity to return Insufficient support (emotional, practical, financial) Lack of stable relationships
1) Ask all local authorities in Scotland to report on the current services available to care leavers and how these can be improved. 2) Change the current rules about leaving care, so that young people can stay in care until at least 21. Prevention Pathway Recommendations 3)All corporate parents will need to regularly say what their plans are to improve services for young people who are leaving care. 4) Between 2021/24, all corporate parents will need to specifically say how they plan to help support care leavers until they are 26 years old. 5)The Scottish Government, Care Inspectorate and others will agree on a new way to measure the success of care services in Scotland. 6) Corporate parents should know the views of care leavers to help them understand their aftercare duties, up to age 26 and beyond. 7) Care leavers should not need to wait as long to receive benefits and have consistent relationships within the Job Centre. 8) Make sure care leavers know what benefits & support is available to them.
Youth Homelessness Prevention Pathway For all young people This pathway includes recommendations for changes to the systems, practices and services which, if implemented can make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring for young people aged 16-25.# The Pathway addresses the needs of young people who are care experienced/on the edges of care, LGBTI+, involved in the justice or health system and those who have multiple and complex needs. The Pathway recommends actions across the tiers of prevention and includes accessible advice and support for families, school and youth work programmes, affordable and youth appropriate housing options with a focus on skill development and relationship building. Therefore, it has implications for housing, education, children & families, and justice departments and of course youth work.
sabrinagalella@rocktrust.org www.awayhomescotland.org @AWayHomeScot
