YPSF’s free course helps young people into homes

A free tenancy training scheme which helps young people to learn the practical skills they need to manage their own homes and can help speed up waiting time with social housing providers has been launched in Wythenshawe.R U Ready? is a 10 session course run by the Young People’s Support Foundation, based at the Signpost centre on Brownley Road in Wythenshawe. The informal group sessions for people aged 16-25 give information about the rights, duties and responsibilities of being a tenant, as well as helping to develop the practical skills needed to live independently. Completing the course leads to an Open College Network Level 1 qualification and a re-housing award through Manchester City Council Allocation scheme, which is recognised by social housing providers and some private landlords and can help speed up waiting time.

Katherine Bird is YPSF’s Wythenshawe service manager. She explains: “We’ve run a similar course in our city centre branch on Oldham Street for over two years now and it’s been a massive success,” she says. “But we found that it can be very difficult for young people in Wythenshawe to get into Manchester city centre on a regular basis, so we’ve been keen to offer a dedicated Wythenshawe course for some time.”

A successful bid to the Manchester Youth Fund secured enough funding to run R U Ready? in Wythenshawe for at least 18 months, which will allow more than 250 young people to complete the training course and increase their chances of obtaining and making a success of their own tenancies.

“R U Ready? is slightly different to the city centre-based course, in that we have two extra modules based around employment, education and training,” says Katherine. “Local training providers are coming to Signpost to show course participants the help they can offer and they can see what’s available to them. We’re really pleased to have them on board.”

Further topics covered in the course include budgeting, furnishing your home, using community services and healthy living. 19 year old Abi was offered her own home within weeks of completing the Manchester-based course, and says: ““The course really helped me. It covered all sorts of things I didn’t know about, like managing bills, not getting into debt and making sure you always follow the rules of the tenancy. Without the course I would have been a bit lost because I’d never lived on my own before and didn’t know what was involved.”

YPSF can also offer further help and support to people who’ve completed the course if required. R U Ready runs on regular basis at YPSF’s Signpost centre on Brownley Road in Wythenshawe. A course specifically targeted at parents, with childcare provided, is planned for later in the year.

For further information go to www.ypsf.co.uk, email info@ypsf.co.uk or call YPSF Signpost on 0161 436 5432.