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Our mission is to create brighter futures for children and young people. We do this by providing fostering, residential and support services where children and young people can feel safe and cared for. We support them to make positive relationships which give them the confidence to succeed.
St Christopher’s Staying Close service improves the experiences of young people moving from residential care or supported accommodation to independence. We support young people to plan their own brighter future and guide the professionals in their lives to support the opportunities and maintain the relationships important to them.
This project is running thanks to support from the Department for Education.
In the UK, 50% of young people still live with their parents at 22 years old – but care leavers do not have the same luxury. There is a big jump in responsibility as soon as they leave care. We don’t think this is fair and want to change this for young people leaving care.
Suddenly at 18 young people moving on from residential care are expected to manage everything that comes with being an adult, even though they are still very young. They have told us that they can feel lonely, isolated as they struggle to pay bills, stay in education and maintain their accommodation, all on their own.
Young people want to maintain the meaningful relationships they built with professionals around them, but this can be hard after they leave home or their case is transferred between workers. Staying close works to remove the barriers to this through young person led planning.
It's good to have independence but sometimes you have to do it with someone first. It's that thing about don't run before you can walk.
Staying Close changes things for care leavers. Young people are placed in charge of their transition to independence. They decide what support will help them the most and work with staff to come up with a care plan. This means care leavers know they have someone who they can rely on for when they need a bit of help.
We all know that moving house can be stressful but this can be amplified for young people in care. Therapeutic support is available to help with their mental health needs as they grow towards independence.
Transitioning to independence is one of the biggest challenges a care leaver faces, so it’s important to get it right. A dedicated life skills worker runs sessions to meet young people’s practical needs that they will need for their transition to adulthood.