A new housing service has opened in March in Hereford, offering young people aged 16-25, tailored support to help them gain essential life skills to enable them to live independently.
New Hereford based support service helps to transform young lives
7th April, 2021
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Herefordshire Council made the scheme a reality following a consultation which helped to identify the needs of vulnerable young people in the county.
Operated by Connexus, a local Housing Association, the project offers high quality accommodation with 24/7 support for up to 16 residents who have been specifically referred into the service by the council.
The scheme has been jointly funded by Connexus, Herefordshire Council and Homes England. It aims to provide young people with the opportunity to learn the skills they need to thrive in their local community and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The service also works with families across the county to provide mediation support to prevent youth homelessness.
Connexus worked in partnership with Herefordshire Council and the developers, Harpers, to follow COVID-19 guidelines and complete the scheme on time and within budget and has seen the creation of 13 local jobs.
Harriet Edwards is the Young Persons Services Manager at Connexus and has been liaising with partner agencies to identify potential new residents on behalf of Connexus.
“This has been a real team effort from everyone involved helping make this project a reality, we all worked through challenging times but it has been worth it! I’m so proud that Herefordshire’s young people have a safe space where they can live and learn, with support to access education, training and gain life skills. Young people in the community will benefit from the new outreach support service alongside a family mediation services.”
Harriet Edwards, Young Persons Services Manager at Connexus
“We are delighted that this scheme is now open and offering specialist support to young people who are often living on their own for the first time so need support with accommodation and everyday living. It will act as an important stepping stone for these young people and it will provide them with the opportunity to learn new skills and achieve independence, so they can successfully move on to the next stage of their lives.”
A spokesperson for Herefordshire Council