BACKGROUND
The Winrose Project, from its inception, was developed as a response to ‘a need’ which the Estate Management Board (Now Belle Isle Tenant Management Organization) recognized back in 1993. At that time, as now, the problem of young homelessness was prevalent.
Although some young people were being housed through the normal allocations procedures, the numbers were small and there were considerable management issues surrounding many of them. The Board identified the need for a service which would offer more support than a regular tenancy but would not be hostel type accommodation.
Over the next three years the Board developed and modified their ideas, taking into account financial and practical restraints. They agreed that young people generally were no longer accepting of hostel accommodation but preferred having their own accommodation. However, the Board was equally aware that many of the young people previously housed had little knowledge and/or skills to live independently.
During this time three blocks of ‘cottage-style’ single bedroom flats were identified for possible conversion for the Project and the Housing Committee approved an application for a change of use for the tenancies. So, in 1995 the conversion of the flats commenced with the capital money provided by the Estate Action Refurbishment Programme. The three blocks were converted from twelve flats into ten fully furnished individual flats with ground floor office and communal facilities at 54 Winrose Drive LS103AD. The communal facilities include a large meeting area, craft/library area, kitchen, laundry and toilets.
The Board applied to several charities for funding for a support worker and for furniture for the entire Project. Unfortunately they were all unsuccessful so the Board turned to the Housing Committee. The Housing Committee agreed to provide the funding for a support worker and an annual running costs budget, which allowed the Project to open and operate. The initial funding for the furniture was supplied through the Refurbishment Programme. The Winrose Project allocated its first flats in the autumn of 1996 and was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Leeds in February 1997.
AIMS OF THE PROJECT
As already stated, the Project was created as the Board perceived a very real need for a service which would offer support to young people to help them develop the knowledge and skills to live independently. Traditionally young people aged 16-24 have, for a variety of reasons, demonstrated difficulties in maintaining tenancies and the resulting damage to properties has proved costly for the Board. Belle Isle North, like other estates, has had a significant number of single person flats abandoned and vandalized because the young tenants have not been able to cope living alone on a limited income with little, or no, support from family or statutory agencies.
The Project, which is managed by Belle Isle Tenant Management Organisation, aims to offer the necessary support to help the young people, accepted into the scheme, to develop the practical, emotional and social skills to live independently.
Originally the Project was set up to provide this support to young people, aged 16-24 years old, in the ten flats. However, over the past ten years the Project has developed and the demand for the service has led to support being offered to young single people and couples, with and without children, on the estate. The two branches of the service, namely the “residential” and “outreach” have existed informally for a number of years but are now formally recognized as such by the Supporting People Team.
In essence there are actually three parts to the Winrose Project. The residential, has 10 one bedroom fully furnished flats for single young people who need intensive support. The outreach or floating support, enables young people to obtain, maintain and sustain a tenancy on the Belle Isle Estate. The move-on or second stage, provides support for young people moving out of the residential on to the Belle Isle estate. However, the outreach and move-on are considered as one service and provide support for 17 tenancies at any given time.
The aims are the same for the residential, move-on and outreach services. The Project is focused on providing supported accommodation to vulnerable, homeless or potentially homeless, young people. The support is to enable the young people to develop independent living skills and to empower them to make decisions and choices regarding their own choices. Emotional support is offered to enable them to develop their potential and to encourage then to take up education, training or work opportunities and access community resources. The Project is committed to providing a flexible and accessible service for young people, the local and wider community and other agencies.
HOUSING SUPPORT WORKERS
In 1996 when the Project first opened its doors there was one full-time housing support worker to meet the needs and demands of the ten residents living on the Project. However, in the autumn of 1997 a further support worker was seconded to the Winrose Project on a temporary basis after a different housing project failed elsewhere in Leeds. By this time the workload was increasing and residents who had developed the necessary skills were being moved-on to tenancies on the estate. The presence of another worker allowed for some group work in partnership with the Youth Services and the workers were able to support move-on residents.
It was finally agreed in February 2000 that the temporary post was made permanent. Since then Supporting People have increased the funding to allow for 2.5 workers, with the proviso that they carry out their own admin functions.
The Winrose Project is currently managed by the following team:
Joanne Earnshaw: Project Manager
Pauline McNally: Housing Support Worker Full Time
George Hickinson: Housing Support Worker Full Time
Joanne Wood: Housing Support Worker Part Time
Housing support focuses on helping, aiding, prompting and enabling individuals to develop their personal skills. It is not about care nor deciding what is best for someone but it is about assisting people to make informed decisions and encouraging them to reach their full potential. In the past there was a clear distinction between male and female roles in the home and knowledge and skills were passed from generation to generation. However, society has changed radically and much of the teaching in the home has tended to disappear. Consequently, when young people find themselves faced with homelessness and have to access supported housing they are often ill-equipped to deal with the demands made on them. It is the role of the housing support worker to facilitate this learning process and ease the transition into independent living.
Project workers liaise closely with family members and other significant workers involved with the young person to ensure that all are working to the same end and that the support framework is effective but there is no duplication of work.
Much of the work carried out by the Project workers is assisting people to develop the basic practical living skills; such as shopping, cooking and cleaning. They also spend much of their time helping residents and tenants to budget; not only for their immediate needs but for the future. Many of the residents and tenants are on benefits and have to exist on a very limited income, which has to pay for fuel, water, food, cleaning materials, personal hygiene, travel, clothes and social activities. Some young people have other financial commitments, such as court fines, child maintenance and accumulated debts, in these circumstances workers may help the individual to access specialist services. Project workers regularly check that residents are managing basic skills and carryout monthly flat checks to ensure that there are no health and safety issues.
It is important that young people are motivated and are in a position to access education, training and employment. New government initiatives focus on social inclusion and there are more demands on young people to access training and employment resources. Project workers have developed links with training providers, the local employment agencies and city wide provision to ensure that residents and tenants have the knowledge and are able to access appropriate services for them. It is through developing these working relationships that there appears to be a better understanding from other agencies about the difficulties facing young people in independent living situations. This has led to a more realistic, if not sympathetic, attitude towards some individuals so that there is a greater acknowledgement of their capabilities and the need to decrease the pressure on them so that they will develop their potential within this more protected approach. The more opportunities open to people the greater the chance to compete more effectively in an employment situation. Once young people are earning and not relying on state benefits the more able they are to provide for themselves and their homes.
Support planning is important and individuals need to be able to accept the support offered, if they are to benefit from the Project. Workers have a framework provided by the policies and procedures governing the Project and to ensure that it is continuing to offer a relevant and strategic service these are reviewed annually. Project workers are committed to empowering young people on the scheme to develop. They are aware that the residents and tenants breach the conditions laid down in their personal contracts and Licence Agreement but provided that individuals take responsibility for this and move on then it is viewed as a learning process.
It is by making mistakes that we all learn. Staff are only concerned when individuals do not take responsibility for their actions and continually breach the same rules; this indicates that they are not committed to the Project and not prepared to learn.
Usually in these instances the young person either leaves the scheme through mutual agreement or is evicted, although it is recognized that evictions are not good for the individual concerned, staff morale or the Project as a whole.
HOW TO APPLY
The Winrose Project continues to provide a valuable service for the young people who wish to utilize it fully. The number of enquiries and applications from agencies and young people independently continues to grow and this proves it is a service the young wish to access.
Should you know any young person that meets the project criterea may benefit from the support offered, please provide them with the documents located on the right of this page and ask them to complete the application form.
The completed form may be returned to any support worker by:
Hand delivery or Posted to 54 Winrose Drive, Leeds LS10 3AD or Fax to 0113 2776573.
Should you require any further information, please don’t hesitate to phone our office: Tel 0113 2715718.