Accommodation that is safe and supportive for young people in the criminal justice system is vital

Responding to the Joint Inspection Report by HMI Probation on Accommodation of homeless 16 and 17 year olds working with Youth Offending Teams, Nacro’s Director of Housing, Joanne Drew, said:
“The report outlines a concerning lack of suitable accommodation that is safe and supportive for vulnerable young people in our communities. When a young person is caught up in the criminal justice system we have to do all we can to help them get out of it and avoid being swept away in a cycle of offending. We know safe and suitable supported accommodation along with support  is vital to achieving this. Good accommodation supports young people to address problems, grow in confidence and interact positively with wider services, education and work.”

“We particularly welcome the emphasis on ensuring that accommodation should be suitable and tailored to children’s individual needs, including the need for emotional support. Given the complex histories and vulnerabilities that characterise many children who find themselves homeless, providing support means more than just a roof over their heads. This chimes with research from Nacro’s Beyond Youth Custody programme that highlights the importance of combining both practical support such as accommodation, with emotional support.”

“At Nacro, we provide a supportive environment to help young people who have faced difficulty, neglect and homelessness to move forward. Many young people seek accommodation with us and sometimes we cannot live up to demand. Supported housing is the foundation of building on future hopes and turning lives around. We welcome this report and hope it will spur quality interventions and future investment of specialist supported accommodation across our communities.”

You can find more information about accommodation that is safe and supportive across England and Wales here.