Young people who have been in care in Plymouth will benefit from a new accommodation facility which gives them a taste of adulthood and independence while ensuring there’s support on hand.
Plymouth City Council has transformed a disused building into self-contained flats for young people who are ready to live more independently, with a mix of four ‘training flats’ for 16 and 17 year olds, and eight flats for young people aged 18 and over.
The accommodation will have a 24-hour staff presence to offer support and guidance to the young people living there, enabling those who are leaving care to still be supported but to manage their own homes.
Councillor Jemima Laing, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, visited the new flats this week as they undergo the finishing touches and said: “These new flats are absolutely fantastic, offering a brilliant new accommodation option for care experienced young people in Plymouth as they begin their journey to independence.”
Each flat is comprised of a bedroom, kitchen diner and bathroom and will be fully-furnished. There’s also parking on-site as well as landscaped communal garden.
Councillor Laing continued: “We take our responsibility to our young people very seriously and as councillors we are ‘corporate parents’ to those children who are, or have experienced being, in care. As every parent knows, that support does not end the moment they turn 18 and support and guidance is still required to help navigate early adulthood.
“As a Council, we also consider that being care experienced is a protected characteristic so this is another step on the road to ensuring that these young people get the support they need. By providing this new accommodation offer, we’re giving them the freedom to manage and enjoy their own space and privacy, with all the benefits of ongoing support and security.”
With limited accommodation offers currently available in the city, young people often have to spend longer than they need to in residential care or with foster parents when they’re ready to move on. The new flats will help to bridge the gap between being in care and living independently as an adult. The Council is working with Pivotal Housing Association and Parallel Independence to deliver the scheme and ensure young people have the support they need.
The first young people to benefit from the facility will be moving into their homes later this summer.
