Agenda item

Presentation giving an example of successful partnership working.

4.1       Robert Jamieson - SBC Social Work, and Gill Binnie – SBHA, gave a presentation on the Transitions Project, which enabled a “whole system” approach to support young people leaving care with the transition to independence, with a broad spectrum of services working together for better outcomes.  A care leaver was defined as a person aged 25 or under who had been looked after by a local authority for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14, and who ceased to be looked after on, or after, their sixteenth birthday, and were eligible for Aftercare.  Details were given on some of the national context, including the negative impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on outcomes for young people.  Currently over 200 young people were looked after/accommodated in the Scottish Borders, with that number increasing, as it was nationally.  Mr Jamieson explained that the Transitions 16+ Project provided enhanced assessment, planning and support to care leavers across the Borders.  The flagship project had 6 transitional flats at Albert Place, Galashiels – 4 occupied by young people with tenancies with SBHA, 1 flat as a staff flat (concierge staff employed by SBC with overnight provision cover, with their role mainly building management but also as support to the young people), and the other flat being used for training young people to test living on their own and how to deal with managing a home.  SBHA provided a Tenancy Support worker to help the young people, who came from across the Borders, by establishing security on how they should work and live.  It also helped young people develop positive relationships, provided support for health and wellbeing, which in turn allowed them to integrate back into their home communities more effectively.  The project had been designed alongside young people, who were part of the Project Board, to ensure they were listened to and the project was something young people wanted.  A You Tube clip (https://youtu.be/PBKji9L1rDE) was shown to the Board in which young people helped by the Transitions Project explained how it had benefited them.       

4.2       Gill Binnie then explained how the Housing Options Protocol for Care Leavers operated by supporting young people leaving care into independent living.  This recognised the vulnerability of young care leavers, and the challenges they faced moving into adulthood compared to other young people.  The Protocol had been developed by SBC’s Throughcare/AfterCare Team and Homelessness Service, in partnership with the 4 main Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) in the Borders (BHA, EHA, SBHA and Waverley).  Referrals were made following discussion of the care leaver’s housing needs at a Housing Options Panel meeting, and the Panel agreed the most appropriate housing, areas to be considered, and the type of tenancy to be offered i.e. Scottish Secure Tenancy (SST) or Short SST.  Approximately 38 care leavers came through the Panel each year and of these, SBHA received 19 referrals, with 4 housed at the moment and referrals made to other RSLs.  Over 300 care leavers had been supported over the life of the Transitions Project; 73 young people leaving care had been supported and moved into their own tenancy in the community; 161 had enhanced their employability skills either securing employment, work placement, volunteering opportunities and accessing further education.  On average, the Project supported 55 care leavers at any one time. 

4.3       In December 2017 a Big Lottery ‘Improving Lives’ application had been unsuccessful in light of the implementation of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 (Continuing Care) which contained new statutory duties, as Big Lottery could only fund activity over and above statutory obligation.  In February 2018, SBHA agreed to continue the secondment of the Tenancy Support Worker on a full-time basis to the Project and jointly fund with SBC the salary costs for the Housing Options Worker until 31 March 2019.  No further funding was available to continue the role of the Employability Worker and this post came to an end in March 2018, with care leavers requiring employability support being referred instead to the mainstream Employability Support Service.  Donna Manson, SBC Service Director Children and Young People, confirmed that she had had discussions with the Leader of the Council around the restrictions of innovation funding which could lead to young people losing options.  This impacted not just care leavers but other young people whose parents asked them to leave their family home at aged 16.  There was real feeling within the leadership that care should be in place in each locality in the Borders.  There were homeless young people in the Borders as well as those with drugs, alcohol and/or mental health issues.  Stability and mental health could deteriorate if a young person was not going to the same house each night i.e. ‘sofa surfing’.  Board members discussed the need for data and evidence of vulnerable young people in rural areas, measuring unmet demand, and the funding required to tackle these issues.

            Actions:  AGREED –

(a)     the Clerk to the Council would circulate a copy of the Transitions Project presentation to the Board;

(b)     all partners would support as appropriate any future talks with Scottish Government on funding for the Transitions Project as well as how rural areas were funded to reduce inequality/poverty; and

(c)     any data which could be useful for highlighting rural inequality/poverty would be forwarded by partners to SBC Service Director Children & Young People.