European Social Fund in England

Enhanced lifeskills programme

The Enhanced Lifeskills Programme is a partnership between the charity New Horizon Youth Centre and Camden ITeC, which provides up to 250 young people with weekend access to a community-based programme of accredited Information Communication and Technology (ICT) training, life skills programmes and personal advice in a highly supportive environment.

New Horizon Youth Centre is a day centre for young people who are homeless and vulnerable. It is a charity dedicated to providing services for young people who are surviving in and around the Kings Cross area of London. New Horizon Youth Centre staff are proactively involved with the prevention of social exclusion by working with young people who are either homeless or at high risk of becoming homeless.

The Programme targets 16-to-19 year olds, 83% of whom are from the central London boroughs. Many of the homeless people are not currently in employment or undertaking any other form of education or training, these individuals feel socially excluded, this is not made any easier by the fact that homelessness can lead to transitory lifestyles, however this project is making a difference by providing a base that the young people can have access to - one that offers the chance to rebuild confidence and the chance to make a difference to impoverished lives.

The needs of the users of the scheme are varied and demanding, ranging from drug issues, personal issues, basic skills, language skills, lack of accommodation, violence, sexuality, pregnancy and abuse to name but a few.

The project has been running since January 2004 and is due to run until the end of the year.

Training offered includes the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL), which covers Power Point, Internet and email skills. Weekend counselling sessions tackles topics such as self-harm, anger and low confidence. The scheme also offers English for Speakers of Others Languages (ESOL) tuition which encourages the young people to develop skills which will enable them to fill in forms, make telephones calls, assist them to seek housing and advice and also how to find work and conduct themselves in interviews - increasing the quality of their lives and building self confidence and self-worth.

Achievements:

• 250 individual assessments completed.
• 250 action plans completed.
• 288 life skills/basic skills activities and workshops provided.
• 96 advice sessions provided.
• 48 counselling sessions provided.
• 48 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) training sessions provided.
• 96 ICT Basic training sessions provided.
• 125 beneficiaries referred to Camden ITeC.
• 48 European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) accredited computer- training sessions provided at Camden ITeC.
• 288 enhanced life skills programme evaluation with young people.

Trevor's Story

Trevor is an 18-year-old white male who was sleeping rough in central London. He was originally told about the weekend services that Horizon offer by one of the existing users of the scheme he met on the streets.

As a foster child Trevor spent many years in local authority care before being moved through a variety of short-term foster placements. He attended a number of different schools on a temporary basis consequently not being able to achieve any formal qualifications. Due to high levels of truancy Trevor effectively left school aged fifteen, he spent much of his time committing a number of low-level crimes for which he was frequently prosecuted. Through ESF funding Horizon were able to provide Trevor with a short-term hostel placement and assistance with applying for benefit. Through workshops Trevor was able to improve his independent living skills and gain further confidence through personal development activities. Before hearing of the services available Trevor said he had decided to give up on life but now he has access to support to help cope with his life.

Pablo's Story

When Pablo came to England he was sixteen-years-old and had fled family and political violence. Originally from West Africa, Pablo had arrived in London after a traumatic journey via Portugal. He knew no one, had nowhere to stay and spoke barely any English. After an extensive assessment of his needs with the help of a Portuguese speaking member of staff, Pablo was supported in putting in a claim for benefits, due to his lack of eligibility to claim benefits he could not be housed in a hostel, New Horizons helped Pablo to submit a new claim, he has now been referred to the Homeless Person's Unit. Within a week, he was living in temporary accommodation, in receipt of benefits and studying English part-time. This young man's story is representative of so many others; Pablo himself said, "Without the support and staff through the Life skills Programme, I don't know what would have happened to me".

Jon Snow (presenter of the Channel 4 News) Chairman of the New Horizon Youth Centre says "Our commitment is to the young homeless people in London who use our service: we try to help young people to help themselves. We offer support on issues as diverse as housing, mental health, drugs and employment. We also try to offer a service at our day centre where people can log on, play sports, paint, write, wash clothes, cook, eat and share in some kind of normal life in their abnormal times".

Funding The project has received £189,644 of European Social Fund money; the project will run until the end of 2004.