Care Leavers Learn Life Skills in Unique Hub

A novel pilot project in Nottingham is providing young adults who have been in the care system with vital practical skills for independent living. The initiative, housed in a unique "Life Skills hub," offers a simulated home environment where participants learn essential tasks. These include home maintenance like painting and plumbing, as well as managing household finances and reading utility meters.

Organized by Norman Galloway Homes, the project aims to bridge the gap in support for care leavers, many of whom dread moving into their own places without family guidance. Participants like Daveena Patel and Bhavnisha, who spent over a decade in foster care, are learning to navigate adulthood with newfound confidence. They expressed relief and gratitude for the "extraordinary" services designed to prevent homelessness and foster self-sufficiency.

Hope Stead, who experienced a difficult transition into independent living at 16, stated the hub would have been invaluable. The program teaches skills necessary to demonstrate tenancy readiness to social housing providers. Organizers hope to expand the program's reach to other regions and offer online courses nationally, ultimately empowering more care leavers to sustain their tenancies and build stable futures.