Two Worcestershire charities have joined forces to launch an innovative school-based project designed to identify and support young people who may be at risk of homelessness.
Wyre Forest & South Worcestershire Nightstop and Mediation Service and The Basement Project are delivering Upstream Worcestershire.
The project will support young people aged 11 to 16 before challenges at home or school reach crisis point. Nightstop is piloting Upstream with Baxter College in Kidderminster and The Stourport High School and Sixth Form Centre, while The Basement Project is working with North Bromsgrove and South Bromsgrove High Schools.
The project is inspired by successful early-intervention programmes, including The Geelong Project in Australia, and forms part of the wider Upstream England programme. The Geelong Project achieved a 40% reduction in youth homelessness following the introduction of its early-intervention approach.
Upstream uses a universal digital survey completed by pupils in the classroom. The survey explores areas including a young person’s home life, wellbeing and experience of school, helping to identify issues such as family conflict, poor mental health and disengagement from education.
Young people identified as potentially benefiting from additional help will be invited to meet an Upstream practitioner. Support will be flexible and shaped around the needs of each young person and their family. It may include one-to-one support, conflict coaching, family mediation, help with school and relationships, or referrals to other specialist services.
Unlike traditional services, which often depend on a young person or family asking for help, Upstream’s whole-school approach can identify those who may be struggling but are not already known to support services.
Judith Ford, CEO of Wyre Forest & South Worcestershire Nightstop and Mediation Service, said:
“Family breakdown is the number one cause of youth homelessness, yet too often young people only come to the attention of homelessness services when relationships have already broken down, and they have nowhere safe to stay.
“Upstream gives us an opportunity to reach young people and their families much earlier. By identifying difficulties and offering the right support at the right time, we hope to strengthen family relationships, improve young people’s wellbeing and help them remain safely housed and engaged in education.
“We are delighted to be piloting this approach with Baxter College and Stourport High School and to be working alongside The Basement Project, to bring Upstream to Worcestershire.”
Caleb Mallard, CEO of The Basement Project, said:
“Preventing youth homelessness requires us to look beyond the immediate housing crisis and understand the challenges that can lead a young person towards homelessness.
“Upstream allows us to listen to young people, understand what is happening in their lives and offer support before those challenges escalate. Working collaboratively with schools, families and local organisations will help us reach young people who might otherwise remain under the radar.”
Schools play a central role in Upstream. By making the survey available to all pupils within a year group, the project can reach young people who may not feel able to ask for help themselves.
The Worcestershire pilot will be monitored to understand its impact on young people’s wellbeing, engagement with education and relationships at home. The long-term ambition is to help more young people remain safe, supported and able to reach their full potential.