Memorandum by the Foyer Federation (UWP
49)
THE PROPOSED URBAN WHITE PAPER
How should policies for employment, competitiveness,
housing, transport and public services be integrated to foster
urban regeneration; and the role of other Government departments
and Government agencies and the Regional Development Agencies.
WHAT IS
A FOYER?
Foyers are innovative, locally-based projects
offering an integrated service for homeless and disadvantaged
young people. This includes affordable accommodation, access to
education and training opportunities, help with finding a job,
life-skills and basic skills training, and personal support. Foyers
take the form of purposeful communities where young people can
gain skills and confidence, and ultimately move on to independent
living. They work in partnership with a wide range of local organisations,
including employers, government agencies and voluntary groups,
to deliver a wide-ranging holistic service which increases the
opportunities available to socially-excluded young people.
In addition, Foyers provide services to the
wider community, such as food co-ops, creches, training facilities
and learning centres, cafes and so on. As such, foyers have increasingly
been at the heart of community-based regeneration strategies in
many parts of the UK. Since the first Foyers opened in 1992, the
growth of the movement has been exceedingly rapid, with almost
90 Foyers in operation up and down the country, delivering services
to about 4,500 residents and the same number of non-residents
every year. All of these projects have committed (or formally
expressed an intention to commit) to the Foyer accreditation Scheme,
which is based on the Charter Mark and assures quality and consistency
across the network, while at the same time allowing for innovation.
Foyers come in all shapes and sizes, and a range
of different models has been developed, reflecting local need,
and the availability of existing housing stock. While some Foyers
are purpose-built, offering accommodation, training and other
services "under one roof", it is increasingly common
that Foyer developments use existing housing, and add employment
and training provision to this to deliver the overall service.
Despite this diversity, there are common principles which define
a Foyer and distinguish it from traditional hostel provision.
These principles are commonly expressed in the form of three tests:
— The focus is on helping disadvantaged
young people, aged 16-25, who are homeless or in housing need,
to achieve the transition from dependence to independence.
— The approach to the young persons
needs is holistic. The Foyer offers integrated access to, a minimum,
affordable accommodation, training, guidance, personal development
and job searching facilities.
— The relationship with the young person
is based on a formal agreement as to how the Foyer's facilities
and local community resources will be used in making the transition
to independence, commitment to which is a condition residence
in the Foyer.
FOYERS' CONTRIBUTION
TO URBAN
RENEWAL
The success of Foyers has been proven. On arrival
at a Foyer, most of the young people have multiple problems which
present barriers to independent living. Research by The Foyer
Federation undertaken in November 1998 shows that of the young
people entering Foyers in that month:
— on entry, 64 per cent of young men
and 61 per cent of young women were homeless;
— on entry, only 25 per cent were in
full time work, training or education, and 67 per cent listed
benefits as their only source of income;
— on exit 75 per cent in education,
training or work.
The Foyer Federation firmly believes that any
strategy for urban renewal must recognise the valuable role Foyers
can play in combating social exclusion among young people in deprived
areas. They offer a long term solution to the problems of youth
homelessness and unemployment, as well as providing a valuable
community resource, which further strengthens their ability to
re-integrate the marginalised.
However, there are many deprived areas in the
UK where Foyer services are not available to local young people.
Therefore, further investment in the development of the network
is also needed. The level of investment required is relatively
small, but the potential benefits huge.
A JOINED-UP
RESPONSE TO
DEPRIVATION
Because Foyers work with such a broad range
of organisations to deliver across-the-board services, which transcend
the boundaries of Government departments and agencies, it is essential
that regional structures work together to provide a coordinated
response to the needs of excluded young people. RDAs, Government
Offices, Learning and Skills Councils, Local Authorities, the
Employment Service, Probation, Social, Health Services need to
develop a cohesive and effective approach to addressing youth
homelessness and social exclusion. It is also essential that the
expertise of the voluntary sector in delivering services to the
hardest-to-help if fully recognised, and that voluntary organisations
are able to play a full part in the delivery of strategies with
adequate remuneration.
Organisations like The Foyer Federation have
worked hard to develop joined-up-services on the ground. It is
now time for this to be reflected in regional and national structures,
including funding arrangements, to avoid the debilitating effects
of fragmentation and lack of coordination.
We would welcome the opportunity to brief members
of the committee on the role Foyers can play in urban regeneration,
and broader issues relating to the movement, or submit more detailed
evidence as the inquiry progresses.
January 2000
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