2020 Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Awards

90 GHP / 2020 Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Awards , Aug20545 Best Supported Housing Provider - South East England Care leavers receive surprisingly little support when heading out into the world for the first time. The teamat SevenWays are determined tomake that big jump just a little bit easier. Committed to the provision of support accommodation to those in Brighton and Hove, the teamhave achieved some truly astonishing results. We take a closer look at their success in the Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Awards 2020. When is someone ready to live on their own? For those in the care system, the official age is 18, but no two people are the same and each has their own specific needs and requirements. The team at Seven Ways has explored the options available to care leavers and created a place where young people and parents can develop their practical and emotional skills before they begin managing their own tenancies. The organisation was started by Jon Mackie seventeen years ago, and has become an incredible success story. The team aim to improve the life chances for those leaving care. These are people who are often vulnerable and need a little bit more help to make it on their way. This means building a range of skills that will help them to achieve their self- defined goals. Key to the success of Seven Ways is the equal importance placed on practical and emotional matters. The team see these as intrinsically linked. What the team is able to offer is secure and well-furnished one or two bedroom flats. These spaces can be adapted to meet the wide range of individual needs that come through the Seven Ways door. A minimum of weekly visits, daily if required, are arranged to ensure everything is fine. They also offer an ‘out of hours’ emergency on call, service to all of its young people. The staff who work at Seven Ways are experienced, with most being social work qualified. The team encouraged close liaison between social workers and personal advisors, sharing a monthly written report on interventions and progress. As a small organisation, it’s possible for the team to offer flexible working practices, adjusting in line with reviews, planning meetings and Court Orders. More recently, Seven Ways have also started supporting asylum seekers in both its one and two bed flats. The team have historically supported and encouraged many young people to seek further education and work; plus move them in to their forever homes, so this is a natural extension of this ambition. One of the biggest challenges is to prevent young people from being out of education and unemployed. The team have cultivated good links with the local colleges and work programmes, encouraging the young people they support to do something meaningful with their time. This has led to many taking on voluntary work in various sectors, which has help them to develop their self-esteem, CV and prospects. Over the past seventeen years the team have helped numerous young people to prosper in their privately rented properties or council tenancies. Some have gone on to University and others SevenWays into employment or parenthood. It’s an incredibly rewarding job, with success leaving a real mark on society. Success has not encouraged massive expansion though. Seven Ways wants to remain small and to offer a quality service. This allows the team to work alongside young people and parents, with attention to detail; supporting them as they negotiate the transition into the adult world. Contact Details: Company: Seven Ways Contact: Jon Mackie Web Address: www.sevenwayssussex.co.uk Email: [email protected]