Tuesday 19 April 2022
The States of Guernsey, the Health Improvement Commission and Action for Children have agreed to a five-year contract extension to provide training accommodation and support around substance use and independent living skills to vulnerable young people in the Bailiwick.
This extension allows for a continuation of the longstanding partnership with Action for Children, funded in part through grants from the Committee for Employment & Social Security and the Commission.
Action for Children has also signed a new five-year lease for a seven-bed training accommodation in St Peter Port, which is owned by the Committee and used by Action for Children to allow them to provide intensive support for young people accessing their service.
Young people who live within Action for Children's accommodation often have nowhere else to reside and lack the skills and abilities needed to effectively live on their own in other accommodation. Action for Children's practitioners work directly with young people to develop their skills in areas such as personal care, budgeting and cooking. When ready, young people transition to managing their own property with the service providing additional support to maintain this.
As part of this agreement, the occupancy of the training flats will be limited to six-month occupancy to enable more young people to benefit from this service. Improvements will also be made to ensure that there is a smooth transition between the short-term accommodation provided by Action for Children and social housing.
The new agreement will run from January 2022 to December 2026.
Deputy Peter Roffey, President of the Committee for Employment & Social Security, said:
'It's fantastic to have the contract extension and new lease in place. It's important that we've had the opportunity to review what is delivered as part of this contract to make sure that people's needs are being met.
'We're grateful to Action for Children for the brilliant work that they do in supporting young people and it's great to be able to partner with them. I'm certain that many people would be able to attest to the significant role that this charity has played in their lives.'
Andrea Nightingale, Substance Use Lead at the Health Improvement Commission, said:
'Housing and independent living skills are important enablers of young people's health, alongside embedded support for substance use and so we are delighted that our close partnership work with Action for Children and the Committee for Employment & Social Security will continue to support young people's short- and long-term needs.'
Aaron Davies, Children's Services Manager, Action for Children, said:
'Action for Children has a long and successful history of delivering effective services for young people in Guernsey and we are delighted by this renewed commitment from the Committee for Employment & Social Security and the Health Improvement Commission. It will allow our services to continue providing support for young people in the areas of homelessness, independent living and substance use over the next five years. This support ensures we can continue to work towards our vision that every child and young person in Guernsey has a safe and happy childhood, and the foundations they need to thrive.'
