Tackling Homelessness Amongst Young People
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t started with one 2 bedroomed house which was shared by two young women, the first ever residents, and supported by a part time worker who worked to ensure they were living independently, preparing them for moving on into their own place. The name changed to Backup in 2018 and now has 112 units of self contained accommodation and the level and type of support that goes with that has increased massively. Maura Jackson, CEO since 2012, says that this is no ordinary housing service. The accommodation is of good standard, all owned by housing associations but managed by Backup. It contains white goods, furniture, furnishings, along with being decorated and cleaned to create a home, not a hostel. Every resident is offered a new bed and 2 sets of bedding which they can take with them when they move on. Why 2 sets? We need young people to get in the habit of changing and washing bedding as soon as they move in. One set is brand new, one is donated.
Above: Maura Jackson, CEO
Backup North West is a charity based in Bolton tackling homelessness amongst young people aged 16-25 years. Established 30 years ago, as Bolton Young Persons Housing Scheme, the charity was formed to address rising concerns that young people were experiencing disproportionate levels of homelessness.
I am homeless because of a family fall out; homophobic; I left because I was so uncomfortable, my family still don’t know about my sexuality. 21yo. 184
LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE
“No young person will remember the type of curtains or wallpaper we provided but they will remember forever how they were treated and made to feel.” said Maura Jackson. “This is why we provide extras and fundraise to do so; chef whites for catering college, a trowel for an apprentice plasterer, acrylic nails for the prom night, flowers for a still born baby’s funeral. We have a fund – young people can access internally, once a year for up to £80 for something that is connected to improving their wellbeing. The results are always priceless.” Every young person is given a tailored support package; we assess the needs and current circumstances and we move from there. All of the services are different; ranging from very intensive round the clock support and security through to medium through to lower semi independent living. Collectively 6 projects accommodate 112 young people at any one time. Young people can move through the services as their needs decrease. The final stage being a managed flat in the community which we support through a visiting support ‘Outreach Service’, they experience almost complete independence but have a backup. Pardon the pun. The support workers are employed for their life experiences as much as their qualifications, they range from social workers to former teachers, health care, criminal justice and social care colleagues but also include people who have retrained – an ex gardener, chef, plumber, website designer, insurance broker, banker and painter & decorator. What they have in common is a willingness to make a life changing difference for young www.lancmag.com
