22nd February 2011

Alabaré supporting young Care leavers in Trowbridge

Alabaré is reaching out to even more young people in North Wiltshire.

The charity has opened a new supported housing project for young people who are leaving care, enabling them to move on to successful independent living.

Alabaré’s Towpath House in Trowbridge, which is funded by Wiltshire Council, provides support and accommodation to six young people who have previously been looked after in a care setting.

Residents are supported in addressing their own personal needs and developing the skills needed to move on to successful independent living. Each resident is assigned a key worker who will work with them to draw up a personal support plan based on their individual needs and aspirations, as well as signposting them to other appropriate agencies and services.

The young people living at Towpath House will also be able to access the Alabaré Home and Money Programme, which is a tenancy-related training programme designed to equip people with the skills they need to successfully maintain a tenancy and prevent eviction. They are also encouraged to take part in training opportunities alongside Alabare staff in areas such as first aid, health and safety and food hygiene.

Young people are referred to Alabaré’s Towpath House via Wiltshire Council.

Alabaré Area Manager for North Wiltshire and Hampshire Mel Hurley said:
“We are delighted to be providing this innovative new service in Trowbridge; we already support a great number of vulnerable young people in North Wiltshire and it is great to be able to extend our services and reach out to even more. Towpath House is providing an invaluable service to young people who are leaving care - not only does it enable them to develop essential life skills, it also allows them to experiment with increased levels of freedom whilst still receiving an appropriate level of support, which is vital in ensuring a smooth transition from care to living independently.”

Alabaré already has three supported housing projects for young people in North Wiltshire - Hope House, The Summit and The Orchards. These houses provide accommodation and support to young people who, for a number of reasons, have become homeless. Residents are supported in addressing their issues and developing essential life skills, enabling them to work towards living completely independently.

Alabaré’s Towpath House is the charity’s first supported housing project catering specifically for young people who are leaving care.

To find out more about the work that Alabaré does in North Wiltshire and across the rest of the South and South West please go to www.alabare.co.uk