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CASE STUDY: DE
DE joined the ‘Our House’ project in April 2020, working with the team to establish his requirements across education, training, employment and wellbeing, through the completion of an Action Plan and In-Work Support Plan, where he expressed interest in woodwork, working with motorbikes, and a desire to improve his mental health and stress management.
Following a visit to the Sylva Foundation, DE was offered an opportunity to undertake work experience, and spent three months supporting preparation for new courses at the Wood Centre. He also embarked on
a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) course at Activate Learning, a Self-Employment Course through Aspire’s ‘Enterprise Development Programme’, and engaged with Oxfordshire Mind ‘Mental Wealth Academy’ to address his mental
health difficulties. DE was offered a bursary place on the Sylva Foundation’s professional course for a reduced fee funded by Aspire, and later undertook a work experience placement with Crawley Motorbikes.
Ready for move-on, DE was offered accommodation through Clarion Housing, and was supported by Aspire to make
the transition, and take his ‘Our House’ furniture to a new one-bedroom property in Chipping Norton to begin his new tenancy as an independent young person. Since completing his course with the Sylva Foundation, DE is now working
on woodwork commission for friends.
He hopes to set up his own
business, and continues
to enjoy his passion of
motorbikes alongside this!
“It’s so hard for any
of us to think straight and
address life’s challenges without having the additional stress of not having a safe, warm, comfortable place to call home. I’m delighted to be supporting Aspire’s fabulous work by pioneering a ‘Social Lettings Pilot’ to help alleviate the additional stress caused to our participants, who struggle to find more permanent housing on their own.”
ALISON LETTS, MANAGER OF OUR SOCIAL LETTINGS AGENCY PILOT
LOOKING TO THE
FUTURE WITH A
SOCIAL LETTINGS
AGENCY PILOT
Over the next year, we will be developing a Social Lettings Agency pilot project, matching beneficiaries with private landlords’ accommodation as part of our ‘No Going Back’ strategy, improving the availability of safe, affordable housing for those in need as we emerge from COVID-19.
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