Transcript 'The preparation of homeless young people for independent living and their experiences when rehoused'

The preparation of homeless young
people for independent living and their
experiences when rehoused
Maureen Crane, Tony Warnes and Sarah Coward
University of Sheffield
Jennifer Monfort, Centrepoint
Centre for the Study of Childhood and Youth, International Conference 2010,
University of Sheffield
Homelessness and young people
Estimated 75,000 young people (aged 16-24 years) homeless in UK
at some time during 2006-07.1
Homeless young people are very disadvantaged
~ Without stable housing and support networks
~ High prevalence of personal problems
~ Support needs often not met by mainstream services
Important to encourage and support their move to independent
living and self-support so that they are not led into harmful
behaviours and lifelong homelessness, but not an easy pathway.
1. Quilgars D., Johnsen S. and Pleace N. 2008. Youth Homelessness in the UK: A Decade of Progress?
Centrepoint, London.
Aims of the presentation
To describe and evaluate the help that homeless young people
aged 17-21 years receive from homelessness organisations to
live independently, their experiences of the transition to
independent-living, and the support that they receive once
rehoused.
Draws on information from:
 The FOR-HOME study of the resettlement of homeless people.
 Centrepoint’s work in preparing homeless young people for
independent living.
Topics
 The FOR-HOME study, and the backgrounds and problems of
the young homeless respondents
 Centrepoint and its work in preparing service-users for
independent-living
 Young homeless people’s experiences of resettlement and
support received: findings from the FOR-HOME study
 Overview of findings, conclusions and recommendations
The FOR-HOME study and young
people in the sample
FOR-HOME study: aims and methods
To provide robust, longitudinal information about:
(a) the experiences of homeless people who are resettled
(b) the factors that influence the outcomes.
 Sample of 400 single homeless people in two clusters: London,
and Nottinghamshire / Yorkshire resettled into permanent
accommodation by six homelessness sector organisations.
 Semi-structured interviews immediately before being resettled,
and after 6 and 18 months. Interviews from June 2007 to
November 2009. Key-worker completed questionnaire at
baseline.
Young people in the sample
 73 respondents aged 17-21 years interviewed at baseline; 67 at
6 months; and 56 at 18 months.
 47% men and 53% women.
 38% aged 17-18 when resettled, and 62% aged 19-21.
 56% of men and 36% of women White British. 19% born
outside UK.
 36% left school before aged 16 (mostly males), many following
problematic behaviour and expulsion.
 63% have GCSEs or equivalent (only 53% of the men).
 Most became homeless following conflicts with parents, stepparents or relatives.
Self-reported problems
Problems
Men
Women
Total
Percentages
Literacy difficulties
26
8
16
History of mental ill-health
29
41
36
History of alcohol problems
18
18
18
History of illegal drug use
53
31
41
… of drugs other than cannabis
26
20
23
Ever in statutory care
23
33
29
… in care 2+ years
12
13
13
Sample size (N)
34
39
73
Experience of independent living
 77% of men and 97% of women had never previously lived
alone.
 Most said that they had experience of cooking for themselves
and of keeping a home clean.
 Around one-half of the men but fewer women had experience of
basic home maintenance, e.g. decorating.
 Only 23% of men and 26% of women had ‘a lot’ of experience of
paying utility bills. 47% of men and 56% of women had never
paid these bills before.
Centrepoint and its work
Preparing young people for resettlement
 Many young people that Centrepoint supports have a range of
complex needs
 Support and Development approach - holistic support package
addressing all areas of a young person’s life e.g. health,
learning
 Crucial to address wider needs if young people are to successfully
live independently.
 Work with young people throughout their time at Centrepoint to
build independent living skills
 Importance of trusted adult figure to advise and build
confidence
 Lifewise - basic skills courses through which young people can
gain AQA accredited qualifications, including:
 living on a budget
 introduction to bill payment
 introduction to the private rented sector
Move on options
 Social housing has been the most common move-on
accommodation but is becoming increasingly difficult to
access, especially in London
 Private rented sector poses a number of challenges:
 Most under 25s are only entitled to single room rate of
housing benefit – difficult to find decent quality properties
at this rate
 Direct payment to tenant – increased chance of arrears
 High rents act as barrier to work
 But private rented sector is likely to play an increasing role in
resettlement, so Centrepoint strives to make this option work
Resettlement services
 Rent deposit guarantee scheme
 Specialist worker helps find affordable tenancies
 Guides and supports them through process, e.g. the
tenancy agreement, setting up utility services
 Scheme pays for the deposit and first month’s rent
 Tenancy support
 Offers informal support for 6 months after leaving services
 However there is not sufficient funding for proactive and
intensive support for all young people
 Formal tenancy support services are provided by local
authorities in some areas, but access is limited and often
restricted to certain groups e.g. care leavers
The transition to independent-living:
the FOR-HOME study
Managing a home
 63% moved to local authority housing; 29% to housing
association tenancies; 8% to private-rented accommodation
(10% in London).
 81% were glad to have moved to their own accommodation.
 Many without essentials at time of moving – 63% no bed, 75%
no cooker, and 65% no carpets or floor covering.
 By 18 months, most had a bed and cooker, but 18% still without
floor covering.
 After moving, most coped well with basic household tasks.
Only a minority (5%) reported problems with cooking or laundry
at 18 months – mainly due to lack of equipment.
Participating in education, training, work
 Once resettled, many were keen to get a job or study or be
involved in a work-training programme.
 At the time of moving, 23% had full- or part-time jobs. At 18
months, 29% had jobs. Many others were looking for work but
finding it hard.
 Great deal of movement in and out of work – 62% had worked
at some time since being rehoused. Many jobs were casual or
through an agency, insecure, and low paid.
 At 18 months, 10% were attending an education course and
10% a vocational course. 14% were studying and had part-time
jobs to help with the expenses.
Managing finances
At 18 months:
 Most reliant on social security benefits and had low incomes.
 Median weekly income was £51 for men and £80 for women.
Higher income among women because more were working.
 Managing finances was major problem – 50% had ‘frequent’
and 24% ‘occasional’ difficulties. Associated with low income,
high utility costs, buying things for their home, and paying
debts.
 Men were more likely than women to report financial difficulties
– 82% of men and 67% of women had problems.
Percentage of respondents with debts
Rent arrears and other debts
100
baseline
87
6 months
79
80
73
72
61
60
53
53
38
40
26
20
0
men
women
total
18 months
Level of debts
40
baseline
Percentage of respondents
34
6 months
33
29
26
20
15 15
9
10
3
0
£1-499
£500-999
£1,000+
18 months
Reasons for rent arrears and debts
 38% had outstanding debts at the time of being resettled. Once
in settled accommodation, other debts caught up with them.
 Most had no basic furniture or household equipment at time of
moving. Average Community Care grant received was £372 –
several took out loans to equip their home.
 Starting / stopping work had financial implications. When in
work, had to pay all / part of their rent and council tax. When
stopped work, took time for social security benefits to be
reinstated. 18% got into rent arrears when stopped work.
 Entering education also had financial implications. No longer
entitled to social security benefits and so had to take out a
student loan. Also had to pay all their rent as no longer eligible
for Housing Benefit.
Support once rehoused and
housing outcomes
Formal housing-related support
 Just 28% received help from a tenancy support worker after
moving (compared to 55% of respondents aged 22+).
 24% returned to their former hostel for help when having
difficulties.
 7% received support from a social worker (mainly former careleavers), and 7% from a college or jobs’ training adviser.
 39% received no support from formal housing or welfare
services after moving.
 Many did not seek help when having difficulties, or waited until
they had substantial debts and their tenancies were at risk.
Support from family and relatives
 44% of men and 69% of women saw a family member or relative
at least once a week. Some previously in care remained in
touch with their foster family.
 Some said their relationship with their parents improved after
being resettled; others that it had become more strained.
Relationships often ‘fragile’.
 Their relatives tended to provide emotional support,
encouragement and practical help, e.g. with laundry, meals or
decorating.
 Very few received substantial financial help from relatives – if
at all, mainly small amounts, irregularly and in an emergency.
Said their relatives were not in a position to help them
financially.
Housing outcomes
Percentage of respondents
90
1st tenancy
new tenancy
82
relatives / friends
streets / hostel
60
prison
61
30
19
6
10
8
3
8
3
0
men
women
0
Housing outcomes by tenure
1st tenancy
new tenancy
relatives / friends
streets / hostel
Percentage of respondents
80
76
72
60
50
40
20
17
14
9
6
2
17 17
9
0
0
Local authority
Housing ass'n
Private rented
Overview, conclusions and
recommendations
Overview
FOR-HOME findings and Centrepoint’s experience concur that:
 Homelessness among young people is rarely experienced in
isolation, but often associated with a range of problems.
 When they are helped to get over or control the problems that
led them into homelessness, and prepared for independentliving:
 The majority succeed in maintaining their tenancy despite
very low incomes and (in many cases) limited or fragile
family support.
 But many experience financial problems and accrue debts
over time.
 Once the young homeless person ceases to be a client of a
specialist homeless organisation, many have no obvious
agency to which they can turn for advice and help.
Preparing for independent living
 Homelessness services can help prepare young people for
some aspects of independent living, e.g. cooking and cleaning.
 But many young homeless people come unstuck because their
support needs do not easily fit into mainstream services and
they lack stable support networks.
 Priority should therefore be making services more flexible and
tailored to individual needs:
 providing additional and flexible support for young people
with higher support needs
 removing structural barriers to them engaging with existing
services
Providing personalised and flexible services
 It is important that funding mechanisms do not prevent young
people from accessing the package of support that is right for
them:
 e.g. College Without Walls will provide learning provision designed
around the needs of the individual young person
 Joined up working - young people need to be able to access
easily a range of different services after moving on from
homelessness services:
 Closer links between housing, health and social services
 Easier access to mental support – 50% of young people at
Centrepoint access help from in-house mental health team
 Proactive targeting of those who are vulnerable but do not ask for
help
Overcoming financial restrictions for young people
 The most serious problems faced by formerly homeless young
people are financial difficulties, particularly if moving into work
or full-time education: lack of awareness of their entitlements
and ineligibility for some benefits.
 Structural barriers in Government policy include:
 Work disincentives - The HB taper should be reduced to ease the transition
into work, or the earnings disregard raised.
 Limited financial support for young people in education - Young people
should be able to access income support until the age of 25 if in full-time
education (currently only eligible up to 20).
 Single room rent - Centrepoint believes that homeless young people
should be exempt.
 Direct payments - Young people should be able to choose for their rent to
be paid to their landlord.
To conclude …
 Government and support services both have a role to play in
making sure that services take account of the needs of
vulnerable individuals who do not fit into mainstream services.
 Voluntary sector homelessness organisations have limited
capacity to provide tenancy support, but young people should
be able to access this at any point after resettlement.
 Providing personalised, flexible and proactive services will give
homeless young people the best chance of building a new
future for themselves.
Contact details
Tony Warnes: [email protected]
Maureen Crane: [email protected]
Sarah Coward: [email protected]
www.shef.ac.uk/sisa/research/fields/homeless
Jennifer Monfort: [email protected]
www.centrepoint.org.uk