For more information on the Youth Housing Network please visit the new website at www.youthhousingnetwork.org.uk

For a text only version of the website click on the link located in the top left hand corner of the home page.

The Youth Housing Network is a multi-agency network of voluntary and statutory organisations with a common interest in homeless young people and other youth issues.

The YHN strives to prevent, alleviate and ultimately eradicate youth homelessness by raising awareness of the issue, facilitating a joint working approach, influencing policy and provision and empowering homeless young people to contribute to the process.

Reality Check Workshops
As part of the council's homelessness prevention policy the Youth Housing Network visits school, colleges, alternative educational establishments and youth related venues delivering workshops to over 2,200 young people every year on the dangers of leaving home unsupported. They also cover common difficulties in living independently, budgeting, housing, relationship issues and homelessness. The purpose of the workshops is to discourage young people from leaving home unprepared and to provide sign posting for those who are unable to remain at home for various reasons.

The add-on approaches to this work have been designed to encourage young homeless people to contribute to the work and help engage young people all over Milton Keynes in the issues that we wish them to think about, and discuss and implement in their daily lives:-

H.Y.P.E (Homeless Youths Performance Education)
In March 2008, a new and innovative approach to the Reality Check Workshops was pioneered. The YHN Worker facilitates a drama group consisting of homeless and ex-homeless young people, mainly between the ages of 15-25yrs, every Thursday evening from 7pm-9pm at The Spot Youth Café in The Point, CMK. The workshops are completely free for members and offer an array of benefits.
The aim of the group is to raise awareness of the causes and effects of youth homelessness and other related youth issues, around Milton Keynes, in a fun and educational way. The project allows homeless young people to take ownership of the group, have their say and ultimately builds their own confidence, skills and abilities whilst giving them the satisfaction that they are making a difference to others. The group will also help to influence service provision and policy by creatively communicating the experiences of their characters and opening the eyes of the audience, whether a wider community audience, professional audience or an audience of other young people.

Peer Education
Several young homeless and ex-homeless people have volunteered to carry out the Reality Check workshops in schools and colleges. These workshops will be entirely devised by each young person and will include details from their own experiences that they wish to communicate to other young people in Milton Keynes. We are carrying out a training program with the volunteers that will cover teamwork activities, confidence building and presentation skills. Each volunteer will take ultimate control over their individual workshops and can design their own approach to the talks, in a creative way.

From student feedback over the years, we have discovered that this approach is very engaging and effective for the classroom atmosphere and will encourage young people to face homelessness as a real issue that could happen to anyone, including themselves, regardless of background.
The workshops link directly to the aims of the PSHE and Citizenship curriculum:

Within PSHE the following knowledge, skills and understanding should be developed:

• To make choices and decisions about options for the future
• To find information and advice
• To prepare for change
• To deal with changing relationships positively

Within Citizenship the following knowledge and skills should be developed:

Knowledge and understanding about:

• The legal and human rights and responsibilities underpinning society as they
relate to young people.

Skills of enquiry and communication to:

•Think about topical political, social and cultural issues, problems and events by analysing information and its sources
• Justify orally and in writing a personal opinion about such issues, problems or events
• Contribute to group and exploratory class discussion

Developing skills of participation and responsible action by:

• Using their imagination to consider other people’s experiences and be able to think about, express and explain views that are not their own.

Youth Housing Network Booklet Series
In collaboration with Milton Keynes Council, the YHN has produced a three booklet series that can offer useful tips, information and helpful contact details to both young people and their parents. These can be collected from The Ark Charity as well as other key organisations in MK such as MK Council, YiS, Connexions and local schools.

‘Deciding to leave home guide; The advantages and disadvantages’
This guide is designed to help young people make a decision as to whether they are ready to leave home. It offers advice and guidance on what to consider before taking on the responsibility of looking after a property. It covers what bills need to be paid, what accommodation is available and what agencies can help if you have no choice but to move out of the family home.

‘The Young Tenants Guide; How to manage your first home’
This guide provides information on all you’ll need to know when looking after your new home, this includes things to remember when moving in, setting up and paying bills, furniture you will need, budgeting, healthy eating, safety and emergencies, rights and responsibilities and useful contacts.

‘Keeping your teenagers at home; A guide for parents’
This publication contains information for parents who may be struggling with their teenager and thinking of asking them to leave home. It offers tips, hints, advice and signposting to agencies and workshops that can help parents deal with a number of issues that teenagers present. It also advises on how to help your teenager plan and prepare for leaving home in order to reduce the possibility of them hitting crisis point.

Furniture First
Furniture First is an inter-agency initiative that was set up in 2004. It is managed by Age Concern and supplies free furniture and household goods to destitute people of all ages. The aim of the project is to provide low-income households with the means to furnish their properties thus improving the quality of life and helping to prevent failed tenancies.

Youth Housing Network General Meetings and Conferences
The Youth Housing Network periodically hosts general member meetings which facilitate networking, information sharing, promotion of good practice and inter-agency-working. The next Youth Housing Network conference will be held in January 2009 in order to deliver updates of the work to the YHN members and allow suggestions and issues to be raised.

For more information contact:

Amy Hill
YHN Development Officer,
01908 317174
yhn@thearkcharity.co.uk

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