No young person should be living on the street

A NEW service to help prevent young homelessness in Yeovil and South Somerset is to be launched later this year.

From May, young people aged 16-24 years old with housing related needs in South Somerset will be given help and supported accommodation thanks to a new scheme being set up by South Somerset District Council, Somerset County Council and Knightstone Housing.

The Somerset Pathways to Independence will be a multi-agency housing related support service for young people, including care leavers who reside in, or have a local connection with the Somerset area.

The service will be designed to allow young people with housing related needs to progress along a pathway of outcome focused needs led provision until they are able to live independently. First and foremost however, it will attempt to prevent young people from becoming homeless through targeted prevention measures.

Knightstone Housing has been commissioned by Somerset County Council to provide Pathway to Independence services in South Somerset.

Work is also underway to develop a ‘hub’ in the district which will provide information, advice, support and guidance from teams including social workers, housing options, leaving care and providers.
 
From now until the new service launches on May 1, efforts are being made to ensure a smooth transition to the new Pathways to Independence service. Knightstone Housing, Somerset County Council and South Somerset District Council will be working closely with the existing service providers and young people currently housed in their projects.
 
In order to ensure consistency across the county, Knightstone Housing will also be working with the new service providers in the other Somerset districts.

South Somerset council leader, Cllr Ric Pallister, said: “First I want to pay tribute to the excellent work that has been delivered to date by the existing providers of projects for young people across South Somerset.

''Without the dedication of those agencies and in particular their staff, we would be in a much worse position and many young people would have lost opportunities.'' 
  
Sonia Furzland, Assistant Director at Knightstone added, “Knightstone has been providing housing and support to young people in South Somerset at Yeovil Foyer for 15 years.''

Somerset County Council's children and families spokesman, Cllr Frances Nicholson, said: “No young person should be living on the street.

''It is our priority to support and help young people to live a safe, healthy, stable and independent life. This new service will have a big impact on reducing the number of young people that are homeless in the county and will give vulnerable young people a more positive future.”

Tags:
News.