How YMCA Leicestershire and The Y Theatre create an environment of support and empowerment for young people in supported housing

This is unfortunately often the case for young people who have been forced to live away from family. This can include care leavers who move into supported housing such as the YMCA after they leave care at the age of 18, often with very little in the way of transitional support. A report from Barnardo’s found that 39% of care leavers are not in employment or education. It is also common for young people who have always lived with others and had support from care staff to move into a flat alone, where isolation and depression can become very serious problems. A feature written by Lisa Harker for the Nuffield Foundation’s Grown Up? project ‘Generation Abandoned?’, makes the makes the case that young people leaving care need a far more relational approach that helps them towards adulthood.

This is exactly what YMCA Leicestershire are achieving, not just for care leavers but for all the young people who live with them, through initiatives to tackle isolation and loneliness and job opportunities at The Y Theatre. Nuala says that young people living in supported housing need far more than just a roof over their heads; “They need a stable, respectful and empowering environment.” At YMCA Leicestershire, this includes staff who understand the issues faced by young people, including those who can take a trauma-informed approach, help and guidance to transition into independent living, and peer support and activities to prevent isolation.

The Y Theatre, connected to the YMCA building and part of YMCA Leicestershire, is a big part of this. A very busy working community theatre, showcasing everything from comedy to music, theatre and dance, the theatre is also dedicated to helping young residents of the YMCA to make the most of new opportunities and develop some independence. Many of the young residents at the YMCA have taken advantage of The Y Theatre’s hiring scheme, which offers young residents a way to make a living as well as learn new skills and create new relationships.

Hayley explains that Steph first got to know the theatre staff through Event Lab, a weekly drop-in session for residents exploring theatre and the arts through long-term projects and specialist skills sessions. She explains that activities and events such as this help to create a more supportive environment, where the young people might feel more comfortable to talk and express any worries or issues they’ve been facing. “All the staff are trained in the best ways to support young people,” Hayley says. “It’s just about being there for them if and when they need it and creating that safe space. My view is, if we’re honest and ourselves around them, they’ll be honest and themselves with us.”

The Events Lab quickly became a regular part of Steph’s social life after she moved into the YMCA. “My friend used to live at the YMCA too and we used to go every week,” says Steph. “I’ll be there tomorrow.”

Steph initially had plans to go into child care but when the opportunity to work in the theatre came along, she thought it would be a chance to try something new. Despite being a little nervous at starting the job, she says there was a lot of training and support and now she jokes that she’s the “star barista”.

Hayley explains that working at the theatre has had some great outcomes for the young people there. “Working in the theatre can really help, not just our young people, but all young people, to develop their confidence and communication skills. Some of our team have expressed that they’d like to continue careers in theatre and box office, working their way up and even becoming managers one day.”

Does Steph have this in her sights? “It’s just fun more than anything else,” she says. Steph explains that she hopes to work her way up the ladder at the theatre but is apprehensive about becoming manager, joking with Hayley that she wouldn’t want to do her job. Steph concludes: “But people have said I should be a supervisor. Anyway, I know I made the right choice.”

Nuffield Family Justice Observatory’s work on the experiences of young people, including those in care or who are care experienced, has included our Principles of Care for Children with Complex Needs and Circumstances. Created in collaboration with leading experts, this report is intended as a guiding framework for better care for vulnerable young people. It stresses the importance of stable, valued and trusted relationships, as well as agency and respect. The team at YMCA Leicestershire and The Y Theatre are embodying so many of the guiding principles put forward in this piece of work.

Read more from Generation Abandoned? here.

Learn more about the work of YMCA Leicestershire and The Y Theatre.