Young Homeless Work

Our Young Homeless Service aims to provide confidential housing advice and on-going support to homeless people or those threatened with homelessness (aged between 16 and 25) as well as providing emergency help and accommodation to young homeless people in crisis.  The council, local authorities and other agencies refer clients to us; or they come to us through word of mouth from other members of the community.

Our Work
Our young homeless clients are a challenging group with differing needs.  Some have learning difficulties; some are drug and solvent abusers and some abuse alcohol.  All are disadvantaged in some way.  Their backgrounds include broken homes, the care system, violence, abuse and sexual exploitation and some are ex-offenders.  Many also have mental health issues. 

ASCEND works closely with many organisations to provide this service including the Children, Schools and Families Team within the South Quadrant of Hertfordshire, our local authority, Watford New Hope Trust (a Watford based homeless charity), the Herts Young Homeless Group, the Community Drug & Alcohol Team and Alcohol Advice Centre in Watford, the Youth Offending Team and the Social Service Mental Health Team. 

ASCEND staff help our young clients find accommodation, apply for benefits and fill in housing applications.  We also provides support once accommodation is secured, such as help with the provision of furniture, cooking equipment and linen, budgeting etc.  Our staff also accompany clients to interviews with Social Services, the Job Centre, the DSS and the Local Council, supporting them in their applications to these agencies.  If appropriate, we will try and provide an advocacy and reconciliation service to help young people stay with their families where there is dispute and the threat of eviction. We can also refer clients to specialist agencies such as Drug and Alcohol centres if required. 

All these clients can take advantage of our course programme.  Clients aged 20 and over can also take benefit from our job search facility with our on-site qualified Guidance worker.  Younger clients are referred to “Connexions” who specialise in ‘training for work’ with 16 to 19 year olds.

Without ASCEND, young homeless clients would have significant problems and time delays accessing the relevant services in the area.  ASCEND provides these clients with a “one stop shop” to these services and also provides two unique services called CRASHPAD and GAP.