Clarion Housing Group signs up to Care Leaver Covenant
Clarion Housing Group, the largest social landlord in the country, has signed up to the Care Leaver Covenant, signalling its commitment to providing support to young people with care experience.
The Care Leaver Covenant is a national inclusion programme funded by the Department for Education that supports care leavers aged 16-25 to live independently. Working with a range of organisations, the Covenant’s aim is to provide additional support for those leaving care, building on that statutorily provided by local authorities, with five key areas of focus:
- Independent living;
- Education, employment and training;
- Safety and security;
- Mental and physical health; and
- Finance.
Other organisations signed up to the Care Leaver Covenant include the NHS, John Lewis Partnership, Amazon, Sky and Tesco, providing a range of perspectives, support and opportunities.
As part of its commitment through the Covenant, Clarion has pledged to provide additional advice and guidance to young care leavers to help them settle into the responsibilities associated with living independently.
One programme helping to provide this support is Hometruths House which offers guidance to new residents aged 18-25 on how to manage their new tenancy with the aim of reducing rent arrears and eviction rates. Young people with care experience taking part receive £250 in energy or supermarket vouchers to help them find their feet thanks to the support of contractors through Clarion’s social value programme.
In addition, young people with care experience will be able to access tailored mentoring and employability support to help them improve their job prospects. Clarion will guarantee interviews for any applicants who have spent time living in the care system where they meet the basic criteria, in the same way as the Disability Confident scheme supports those who declare a disability.
Clare Miller, Chief Executive of Clarion Housing Group, said:
“A large proportion of young people sadly leave their care setting poorly prepared for independence and the Care Leaver Covenant is a vital way of helping them to find their way in the world. We’re proud to be part of the Covenant, and are committed to finding ways that we can support young people with care experience through our charitable foundation, Clarion Futures, and across the business.
“To support this ambition, we’ve created a working group comprising staff with care experience to tap into their ideas and expertise, helping to identify the ways in which we can make the biggest difference.”
Mark Rogers, Director of Legacy at the Care Leaver Covenant, said:
“As a large housing provider, Clarion can have a deeply positive influence on the lives of our young people as they transition out of care. We’re pleased to be working closely with Clarion to create tailored support for care leavers so that they have better access to housing, and a support structure around them once they are in stable and secure housing.”