to continue conversations, preferably on alternate days on requirements, feedback, and complaints on the daily living outside Rainbow. Apart from that, monthly visits to group living arrangements and hostels are done by the future focal persons at state levels in all sample states to understand challenges of YAs and provide possible solutions through group discussions. For the girls staying in govt or private hostels in Hyderabad, state team calls for periodic meetings, preferably monthly once, to discuss about their hostel living, challenges faced, essential requirements, whereas regular contacts are made as per the need either over phone or WhatsApp messages. In Bangalore and Kolkata, it was found that girls do not update proactively to mentors and future coordinators unless there is requirement of some essentials or some issue being faced by any of the YAs or any conflict arises among them. Visits to the group living arrangements in every week by Future Coordinator of Bangalore at the initial period of GL commencement was helpful but later girls started updating the Coordinator every alternate date or as and when required either in WhatsApp group or over phone calls about what all are going on in the group or in case anyone in the group face any challenge. In Kolkata, there was very less communication from the part of the girls staying in group living arrangements and many a times the landlord identified their challenges and kept state team updated. For example, one of the girls who used to leave very early in the morning was not eating any breakfast as no one could make breakfast so early. Neither any of the girls noticed this nor the girl herself spoke to state team about her problem. She gradually developed gastric problem, for not eating anything in the morning for days together. To avoid such issues, frequent follow up calls and visits, preferably 15 days in a month to their living spaces were arranged to understand health related issues, requirements on college fees, project fees, stationary requirements, snacks requirements, family situations etc. A schedule of calls with each group in different living arrangements apart from surprise visits helped to get update on their living on regular basis. In Delhi, following up the boys and girls living outside 34
Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers
are little easier as the boys stay in the office campus and there is a regular Youth Mentor designated for girls’ group living arrangements who stays with the girls everyday till evening. The Youth Coordinator of Boys’ hostel and Youth Mentor of girls’ group living arrangements pass on the messages related to YA’s livings, requirements of cash to pay college fees, problems faced in sustaining jobs, or conflicts among the girls in the group etc. to the Future Coordinator every 15 days . Such intense follow up and subsequent meeting or discussion with young adults in different living arrangements give confidence to the young adults that they have a platform where they can bring their issues and concerns and can receive guidance and support to address them. An innovative method adopted in Bangalore to enhance capacity of the young adults living outside rainbow’s care. Counselling sessions arranged with YAs to address challenges faced by them. The state team collaborated with play therapist who organised counselling therapy sessions with the groups of YAs through Art, Music, Play etc. Group living girls’ feedback and challenges of living in GL was collected in those sessions. The girls were given tools to practice calmness whenever they face any challenges in group so that they themselves learn to overcome anger, living harmoniously etc. Similarly in Kolkata, discussion sessions were arranged with the girls who came into conflicts with other girls in working women mess or in group living arrangements. YAs were oriented giving practical examples about how to tackle dominating group leader in outside living arrangements without compromising on right things, so that they can themselves handle conflicts among inmates.
Care Leavers’ Perceptions and challenges of Out-of-Home Care: SPECIAL FOCUS ON EXPERIENCES and Challenges of ‘Housing’ Challenges in finding accommodation Majority of YAs across cities opted for group living arrangements mainly because of the flexibility and
