training flat
A leaflet about the social services training flat can be downloaded here The application pack can be downloaded here
the training programme
The training flat gives care leavers from South Gloucestershire a chance to experience living independently before they leave their foster care. The young people will spend three weeks at a time in the flat and then return home.
The training programme covers independent living skills from cooking and cleaning to using public transport and managing guests. Workers at KYHP provide training exercises from a training pack of exercises developed by KYHP and the department of children and young people. Social workers and foster carers also provide training excercises and work with the care leaver get used to the idea of moving out and prepare for moving on. An outline of how the course is structured can be found here here
Here's what they said about the project :
" It gives you a chance to look after yourself and not rely on other people. I recognised I missed my foster family. "
"It makes you realise that you do have some skills..."
"Helped get an outlook on what it's like living alone and useful for budgeting."
"It has given me an insight to what it will actually be like when I move out"
"The sheets I filled out helped me to improve things I already knew..."
"Didn't like being on my own, don't feel ready ...""Enjoyed it and found it helpful, liked meeting the different workers."