Advanced training benefits Shelter Trust

Wednesday 06 August 2014

Shelter Trust staff have undertaken advanced training to help support vulnerable young people in the Island thanks to £7,500 from the 2013 Barclays Community Awards.

Shelter Trust is dedicated to the provision and delivery of accommodation and support for homeless people in Jersey. Last year the it developed a new dedicated service for young adults aged 16 to 25 years.

Barclays's support has enabled all staff members working with young people to receive further training in the use of the Young Person’s Outcomes Star, a specifically designed measurement tool for accessing progress of the young people using the Trust’s services. Specific areas covered in the advanced training include money and rent; work, training and education; and confidence and coping.

John Hodge, director of The Shelter Trust, said: “Previously the specific needs of vulnerable young adults have been dealt with by a number of different agencies in Jersey, but this newly developed service model provides the necessary support in a coordinated fashion at a single site. The Young Person’s Outcomes Star tool is what’s known as a ‘Participatory Assessment and Measurement’ process, so the young people are directly involved at every stage. It is designed to capture and support the transition into a stable home and adult life, covering all the key areas from money and rent to health and support.

“One in four of our clients are under 25, so this tool will benefit a huge number of young people in Jersey. We’re extremely grateful to Barclays for the funding we received at the Community Awards for the advanced training which has improved the skills and knowledge of our staff which in turn will support the young people we work with.”

Paul Declat, Barclays Director in Jersey and judge for the community awards, said: “Developing the skills young people need to fulfill their potential is extremely important and is a key objective for the Barclays Community Awards in Jersey. The Shelter Trust’s Strathmore 16 to 25 service is doing fantastic work to support young people in the island making sure they have the confidence and knowledge to move forward successfully in education, training and the workplace. It’s great that the staff at the trust have been able to undertake the advanced training which will ensure that they are equipped to deal with the specific issues that affect the young people using the service.”

The Barclays Community Awards are open to registered charities based in Jersey. Applications for the 2014 awards will be open in August. The awards focus on three key objectives – supporting and improving financial, enterprise and employability skills in 10-35 year olds in the local community. These key objectives align with Barclays’ global commitment to support young people through its community initiative Five Million Young futures.