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Residents were presented with certificates, at a special awards ceremony, by Cllr Neil Cartwright, Preston City Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Housing (third from left standing) and Kevin Mordue, Head of Housing Advice for Preston City Council (se
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Residents at Foundations, New Progress Housing Association’s purpose-built housing scheme in Preston City Centre, for young people and adults experiencing homelessness, are celebrating after achieving nationally recognised qualifications.
The residents have been undertaking Practical Housing Units (PHUs), accredited to the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) exam board.
PHU is a comprehensive training package which focuses on the basic skills, knowledge and understanding needed to underpin a person’s ability to sustain a tenancy and develop a healthy lifestyle.
The PHU package consists of modules that are all highly practical, straightforward and applicable to a wide range of abilities, situations and locations. Modules include: maintaining a tenancy; budget and debt management, managing utility accounts, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and exploring resettlement issues.
Residents, helped at each stage by their own project worker at Foundations, work through each module before submitting their work to be assessed by the Amber Foundation.
The Amber Foundation aims to help reduce the level of unemployment within the 18-30 year age group, by giving them time and space in a residential environment to rebuild their lives and build their self confidence and self esteem so they are motivated to seek employment.
Amber recognises that for many there are reasons why they are unemployed and seek to help address these issues. Many young people lack the basic life skills required to sustain employment or accommodation and Amber works with the individual giving them the required confidence and practical skills that they are lacking.
Manager of Foundations, Karen Little, said: “The Practical Housing Units are recognised by the Housing Advisory Service as a way forward in which people can prove that they have the knowledge to maintain a tenancy.
“The PHU training package is really going to help break the homeless cycle. Many of our residents find themselves repeatedly being made homeless as they struggle to cope on their own with matters such as budgeting and paying their rent. These units give them the knowledge and confidence needed to successfully maintain a tenancy, when they are next given the opportunity.”
