Acorn House
Acorn House was re-developed from an existing site which consisted of 8 x one bed flats which were managed as General Needs housing. echg re-designed the property and added communal and office areas. It now consists of 10 x one bed flats, 2 x 2 bed flats and 1 x 3 bed house. Everyone has a self-contained flat and they share the laundry, garden and playroom facilities.
Referrals come from St Edmundsbury homelessness department. Every applicant is assessed in regard to their support needs and their willingness to undertake a programme of support.
Support for Acorn House tenants comes from an enthusiastic and committed staff team who work within a keywork system to enable the young people to develop skills and knowledge to help them live independently. Staff are able to provide a flexible and professional service to tenants and if they need further advice or involvement they will liaise with other agencies to ensure tenants have the best opportunities possible.
Acorn House has evolved and adapted to reflect the changing needs of young parents. Ten years ago young mothers were mainly concerned about their housing need and how to be a good mother but now our tenants have more complex expectations and they are also more aware of employment and training opportunities. There is also more awareness of health and lifestyle issues and staff are very pro-active in supporting tenants to get the information and training they need.
In response to these needs staff have facilitated outside agencies to come into the scheme and run courses. Among these are Suffolk Learning, West Suffolk College and Health Visitors.
Tenants are also encouraged to attend Life Skills sessions with our dedicated worker. They can engage in group activities that are fun and also educational.
A good example of how the scheme is adapting to the changing needs of tenants is the practice of accepting applications from tenants who would like to have their partners to live with them. Echg recognise that research has shown that children benefit when they have positive interaction from both parents. It is therefore important that we encourage our young people in sustaining stable relationships. It also makes a stronger support network when the time comes to move on.
Tenant Involvement is a strong element of the ethos of all the supported housing schemes and the tenants at Acorn House have played a vital role in helping to improve the environment and the service. Tenant representatives attend echg tenant forums and are able to put forward their ideas and learn more about the way that echg works.
Tenants are currently working hard to raise money to install better play equipment for the children and make the garden a safe and attractive area to socialise in. This will help tenants to develop their communication skills and also encourage all parents to play with their children and make good strong friendship networks.
Supporting People now funds the counselling and support element of the service and this has helped to change the approach and give tenants more opportunity to be involved in their scheme. Staff have always promoted tenant involvement and we are always developing this aspect of our service. Also the total rent of the flats has been reduced and tenants can look more positively at employment opportunities.
Our aim is that everyone who moves on from Acorn House is enabled to maintain a tenancy, keep a stable and secure home for themselves and their families and become economically active. |
