Sefton Council opens new Care Experienced Hub to help support young people

Sefton Council has opened the doors to its brand new Care Experienced Hub this week; a place for young people to gather, have fun and find support across all areas including housing, money, mental health and employment.

The Sefton Council Hub will offer a chance to speak to dedicated teams who have in depth knowledge of care experienced people and the support they are entitled to. The Hub will also host social events and foster a community among care experienced people in Sefton. Young people have been involved in the design and decoration of the hub to make it welcoming space that young people really want to spend time in.

From this week, young people will be able to drop in to use services like the food pantry and work space and make appointments for support with housing, finances, job coaches and more. The young people themselves will be part of design a fun calendar of social events to make the hub feel alive!

To coincide with Care Leavers Week, the Council also has a range of events planned including a dedicated careers fair as well as art therapy and yoga sessions and have been celebrating some of our school and college leavers over on our social media.

Cllr Diane Roscoe, Cabinet Member for Schools, Children and Families said:

“Care Leavers Week is a chance for us to celebrate how amazing our care experienced young people are in Sefton and reflect on the work we do to support them and how we can do more.

“Care experienced people face increased challenges and even discrimination across education, employment, housing and are more likely to struggle with mental health issues and that’s why this hub is so vital; providing a range of support, all in one place, tailored to them, in a space they feel comfortable, safe and supported.

“I am proud of the work we are doing to support these brilliant young people but we are always striving to improve. We want children and young people to have high aspirations and know that people believe in them to achieve their dreams. I can’t wait to meet people in our brand new Hub and watch them grow.”

Joining a national campaign to mark the week, the Council is planning to light up its civic buildings in blue on the 31^st October to celebrate care experienced young people and all they achieve and signal our commitment to supporting them.

The opening of Sefton’s Care Experienced Hub comes just a few weeks after City Region Mayor Steve Rotherham announced free travel across Merseyside for care leavers; showcasing the regions commitment to supporting care experienced people find work, employment and community across Merseyside.