it’s definitely the way that we do it.
I’ve always said that it’s social inequality that drives me and not youth homelessness per se. However awful this is for individuals and a community, it is but one awful manifestation of inequality.
And so I observe an evolution in Your Own Place’s position in the market. What we do remains utterly committed to supporting those most at risk of youth homelessness. But because young people don’t fit into funder’s neat outcome labels, this is just one outcome that impacts on many others that we can also achieve through what we do.
Increasingly it is dawning on me that it’s not just about budgeting, savings, tenancies and home options. These outcomes are a given.
No, the real success is in how we deliver the intervention, how we make young people feel and therefore how they want to work with us. Once engaged, we could in truth be delivering any intervention with any outcomes. And what an opportunity that is for anyone wanting to work with young people!
The engagement comes first and this is our strength and unique selling point.
We have 99% retention on our TILS courses and are proud of this.
Now we want to understand, consolidate and replicate it to the best possible end – which may or may not be just preventing homelessness.
