Welwyn Hatfield Council funds young person’s homelessness caseworker

Welwyn Hatfield Council’s strategic housing services department has teamed up with local charity Herts Young Homeless Group (HYHG), to fund a Young Person’s Homelessness Caseworker.

The council identified that homelessness amongst young people, particularly 16 and 17 year olds, was a growing problem in both the borough and the county. They decided to take action to offer young people support and help prevent them from becoming homeless.

In May the council invited a number of local organisations to bid for government funded money to set up a project to help prevent homelessness amongst young people.

HYHG entered a successful bid and appointed Nicki Weller to work in the role of Young Person’s Caseworker.

Nicki works primarily with 16 and 17 year olds and their families. She works closely with the HYHG Crashpad mediation scheme to try to re-establish boundaries and enable young people to remain in the family home, as well as advice on benefits, education and training.

The council hope that the partnership will help to reduce the number of homeless 16 and 17 year olds by 50% by December 2007.

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