Member Profile: Barnabas Housing Association
18 September, 2011
Background
Barnabas Housing Association is celebrating 25 years in operation this year. Their Youth Projects (Hillside and Crossways), based in Yeovil, Somerset accommodate 16 to 25-year-olds.
Referrals are accepted from:
- Social services/leaving care
- Housing
- Probation
- Prison
- Youth offending team
- Job centre plus
- Other supported housing groups
- Self referrals
The Projects
Both projects offer accommodation to those experiencing homelessness, and offer support with other issues such as drug or alcohol addiction and mental health. Young people may also be care leavers, have suffered a family breakdown or have come out of prison.
Staff support them in everyway to enable the young people to move on to more settled and independent accommodation.
They offer:
- One to one support, action plans and brief interventions
- Support with budgeting, benefits and form filling
- Help to develop life skills
- Set up multi-agency meetings
- Signpost to other agencies
- Regular activities and house meetings
Hillside
Hillside is a 6-bedded high support direct access project, which is staffed 24/7. The rooms are all ensuite, with communal kitchen facilities, lounge, laundry and garden.
The association are looking to improve their service whilst giving young people more independence and freedom of choice. They have recently changed Hillside to predominantly accommodate 16 to 18-year-olds.
They will be staffing the project more flexibly, enabling staff to attend meetings and appointments with residents and giving residents more responsibility within the project. Having listened to their resident’s views they are also extending their visitor policy to allow residents to have visitors in their rooms.
“I had just come out of prison with nowhere to go, Hillside accepted me and with their help I have turned my life around, I have got an apprenticeship and hope to move soon to settled accommodation”. A resident at Hillside
Crossways
Crossways is a 10-bedded unit, all rooms have their own kitchen area. They also have communal areas including, lounge, kitchen and laundry room.
At present staff are looking at different ways to encourage residents to use the service when staying with us these include:
- A survival weekend
- Training with the Youth Targeting Team
- Basic cooking skills including themed events
- Involvement in the Prince Trust
“We like the rules, it makes us feel safe here” Crossways service user
How has it helped being a Youth Access Member
“Being a member Youth Access has worked well for the organisation. We are regularly updated on appropriate training and have had the opportunity to contact other like-minded organisations.”
