Tackling Homelessness Amongst Young People

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. “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.”

It 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.

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

Backup now employs 67 staff, support workers, managers, business staff and a small fundraising team with a common goal of tackling homelessness but for those young people who do experience it and whilst they experience it, giving them a great quality service and safe option. They are an Investors in People GOLD employer and have been for 7 years, successfully completing assessments every 3 years. They employ 6 ex residents, 2 as service managers.

The ultimate aim is to ensure the young people move on in to their own safe and secure accommodation. 250 young people move on every year, we have a 91% success rate. The young people are amazing, so diverse and resilient. In our 30 years of operation we have seen young folk go on to be prison officers, bankers, charity founder, artists, managers, solicitors, teachers, support workers, business owners, local government staff, civil servants and a BAFTA winning comedienne and writer. There are also parents, carers and community activists. We have a few ex residents who became lifelong users of services, didn’t succeed in their efforts to stop offending, drinking or using drugs, became trapped in sex work, couldn’t leave the abusive relationships they formed and occasionally we see a familiar face in Bolton Most Wanted page in the local paper. This isn’t Disney, but when it works, it’s magical.

The Chances team within Backup offer specialist support to hundreds of young people. There are 2 employment support workers, 2 mental health practitioners, a care leaver worker and a sexual exploitation worker. Between the 6 of them they offer additional support to young people who have extra support needs and are at risk of losing a placement with Backup – we do not want to see young people experiencing repeat homelessness; once is too much.

The charity sector is under pressure to deliver fantastic outcomes with little or no resources. So Backup are using creative approaches to secure and diversify income. These include The Van, a social enterprise designed to generate profits for the not for profit. It is a mobile coffee and cake service trading with Rijo42 drinks and bespoke homemade cakes. It can be used at community events, corporate/private functions or trade anywhere where our license permits. We use volunteers to staff it alongside paid workers and many of these are residents. Win-win opportunity for us to train and develop young people with skills for future employment whilst trading. Our paid apprentice on The Van is also an ex resident.

Backup also has established an online shop to purchase branded items but in amongst the hoodies and caps you will see for sale calendars and Indian Spices. A bit random...

Cooking with Maura is a program of tutorials to cook authentic Indian dishes with the Backup CEO and Head Chef at Spice Valley (Horwich) restaurant. 12 different dishes have been selected, cooked, reconstructed, written up, reconstructed and filmed so it can be shared with the public. The owners of the restaurant have provided their experience, knowledge and the spices for each dish, packaged with the recipe and method and are for sale. Every time you purchase one Spice Valley spice pack and make your meal for 2, you are paying for 2 meals for a homeless young person at Backup.

I am homeless because I have never had a stable home, always lived at different houses, my Mum abused drugs and alcohol and kicked me out. 16yo.

The charity calendar 2022 is also for sale and is a musical theme, a series of photos including young residents (The Beatles) the CEO (Boy George) and the Mayor of Bolton (ABBA) staff and other supporters of Backup. When you check out the website you will also be able to see the upcoming fundraising events including:-

• Ladies Festive Lunch Friday 19th November 2021 • Charity Gala Ball (Peaky Blinders theme) 19th March 2022

Stan lived in the Backup scheme for over a year. Initially referred because of a conflict with his Mums partner, he was homeless and we moved him in to the Lucas Project. He needed emotional support and help with diagnosed mental issues from the start. His support focussed on mental and physical health, supporting healthy relationships, college and managing his tenancy. Like many young people, he had experienced trauma and was struggling to manage, he wasn’t using prescription medication safely and was regularly self harming.

He was funny, a keen skateboarder, loved music and his Mum. She died of breast cancer August 2019 and he was bereft. Just managing to survive his grief, lockdown arrived and he told support staff he felt trapped. Despite securing a place at University for September Stan took his own life June 2020 aged 19. To say Backup colleagues were upset is an understatement, they worked so hard to save him and in the end the choice was his. Colleagues here had seen him between 1 and 5 times a day for a year so had developed great rapport. Backup mental health workers and support workers spent hours with him, 7 hours, the day he made the attempt to end his life accessing emergency NHS interventions, offering talking therapies, just being there. This wasn’t Stan’s first attempt but was to be his last. He died 4 days later in hospital.

Jon, one of the mental health workers made a bench for the Lucas garden in memory of Stan, out of skateboards for Lucas residents. 100% of young people in Backup have not come here by choice. But over 75% wouldn’t leave if it was their choice.

We can’t save everyone but most endings are positive ones. Backup prides itself on being much more than housing, addressing housing and homelessness is the first step in a long and complex journey of unpicking 16 + years of emotional damage and trauma. “Without the accommodation you can’t succeed but providing it is only the tip of the iceberg”. Maura.

Advice, advocacy, support, encouragement, guidance all contribute to preparing an individual for independence. A young individual who is expected as a teenager to take responsibility for a tenancy, bills, cooking, cleaning and laundry because they have been unfortunate enough to find themselves homeless.

For some it’s the first time they’ve had responsibility but also the first time they have been treated with respect, eaten (regular) meals at a dining table, not been exploited, felt safe. They are all traumatised, either by something that’s led to them becoming homeless or as a result of experiencing homelessness. Either way the damage is lasting.

It’s not all doom and gloom...

The fundraising pays for many extras that Backup try and deliver as standard. Optional days out, kayaking, wall climbing, cycling, cinema, art or animal therapy, theatre are delivered regularly. Free TV licenses and wifi are also subsidised.

Help us by:• Following us on social media • Supporting our events • Buy our merchandise • Donate • Book The Van • Be a Guardian (financial patron £500 a year)

Backup are a multiple award winning service with a multiple award winning CEO. We work with 400 young people a year.