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| Do teen mums deserve special homes? | Do teen mums deserve special homes? |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Teenage single mothers will be sent to live in supervised homes rather than given council houses, says Gordon Brown. But is it a step back to times when unmarried mothers were sent away or a step forward? | Teenage single mothers will be sent to live in supervised homes rather than given council houses, says Gordon Brown. But is it a step back to times when unmarried mothers were sent away or a step forward? |
| Mixing among the young single mothers he is talking about, Darren Gleed is not sugar coating his words. | Mixing among the young single mothers he is talking about, Darren Gleed is not sugar coating his words. |
| "It's not supposed to be too homely because we want them to move out," says the manager of Barking Foyer, which provides supervised accommodation for such youngsters. | "It's not supposed to be too homely because we want them to move out," says the manager of Barking Foyer, which provides supervised accommodation for such youngsters. |
| "If we did everything for them they wouldn't want to go and it wouldn't teach them about real life." | "If we did everything for them they wouldn't want to go and it wouldn't teach them about real life." |
| These shared homes will offer not just a roof over their heads, but a new start in life where they learn responsibility and how to raise their children properly Gordon Brown's conference speech This is a re-announcement of a decade-old policy which Labour failed to deliver Conservative Party response | These shared homes will offer not just a roof over their heads, but a new start in life where they learn responsibility and how to raise their children properly Gordon Brown's conference speech This is a re-announcement of a decade-old policy which Labour failed to deliver Conservative Party response |
| The young women aren't allowed to decorate their small studio flats, not even stick posters on the wall. There are no communal areas for socialising and there are rules about people staying in their rooms. They also have to pay rent and electricity bills. | The young women aren't allowed to decorate their small studio flats, not even stick posters on the wall. There are no communal areas for socialising and there are rules about people staying in their rooms. They also have to pay rent and electricity bills. |
| In return they get a place they can call their own, that is clean, warm and safe. They get support with anything from learning how to change a nappy to applying for university. | |
| And most importantly for many, they learn how to build a new family and often rebuild relations with their old one. | And most importantly for many, they learn how to build a new family and often rebuild relations with their old one. |
| When Gordon Brown told this week's Labour Party conference that, from now on, all 16 and 17-year-old parents who get support from the taxpayer will be placed in supervised homes, this is what he meant. | When Gordon Brown told this week's Labour Party conference that, from now on, all 16 and 17-year-old parents who get support from the taxpayer will be placed in supervised homes, this is what he meant. |
| His critics were not overly impressed. The Conservatives decried it as a "recycled" policy which "was never delivered". | His critics were not overly impressed. The Conservatives decried it as a "recycled" policy which "was never delivered". |
| For some, the idea of forcing young mothers into "hostels" has the ring of Victorian values - like the Magdalene Asylums of 19th Century Britain and Ireland which sought to rehabilitate "fallen women". | For some, the idea of forcing young mothers into "hostels" has the ring of Victorian values - like the Magdalene Asylums of 19th Century Britain and Ireland which sought to rehabilitate "fallen women". |
| Water mill | Water mill |
| But the Barking Foyer couldn't be further from such institutions. A new, state-of-the-art, nine-storey building, it includes a residential wing with accommodation for 116 people, with 12 places are reserved exclusively for young parents. | But the Barking Foyer couldn't be further from such institutions. A new, state-of-the-art, nine-storey building, it includes a residential wing with accommodation for 116 people, with 12 places are reserved exclusively for young parents. |
| Part of the £17.5m Barking Foyer | Part of the £17.5m Barking Foyer |
| There is also office space, training suites and a roof garden. It would look more at home among the glistening towers of London's Canary Wharf than Essex. | There is also office space, training suites and a roof garden. It would look more at home among the glistening towers of London's Canary Wharf than Essex. |
| Shanyda Khan is 16 and has a three-month-old son, Shayaan. She has been living in the nearby Redbridge Foyer for seven months after, she says, being ordered out of the family home when she got pregnant. | Shanyda Khan is 16 and has a three-month-old son, Shayaan. She has been living in the nearby Redbridge Foyer for seven months after, she says, being ordered out of the family home when she got pregnant. |
| "I was scared when I mum told me to go, I'd never been alone before," she says. "But the Foyer staff are amazing. They've helped me be strong enough to deal with having my son. My support worker is like a mother to me. I'm now back at college doing my GCSEs and I want to go on to join the police." | "I was scared when I mum told me to go, I'd never been alone before," she says. "But the Foyer staff are amazing. They've helped me be strong enough to deal with having my son. My support worker is like a mother to me. I'm now back at college doing my GCSEs and I want to go on to join the police." |
| She has the Foyer Federation to thank for her accommodation. Established in 1992, it has 130 homes around the country. They vary from a five-bedroom house in Cornwall to a converted water mill in Cambridgeshire. | She has the Foyer Federation to thank for her accommodation. Established in 1992, it has 130 homes around the country. They vary from a five-bedroom house in Cornwall to a converted water mill in Cambridgeshire. |
| The charity, funded by grants, rents and donations, not only provides accommodation for homeless young people from 16 to 25, but crucially helps get them into full-time training, education or work. | The charity, funded by grants, rents and donations, not only provides accommodation for homeless young people from 16 to 25, but crucially helps get them into full-time training, education or work. |
| An estimated 10,000 are helped each year. More than 70% who go through the Foyer system leave with what the federation calls a "positive outcome", be that a job, college place or reconciled and moving back with their family. | An estimated 10,000 are helped each year. More than 70% who go through the Foyer system leave with what the federation calls a "positive outcome", be that a job, college place or reconciled and moving back with their family. |
| Council house keys | Council house keys |
| Many of the Foyers provide accommodation for young parents. It's much-needed, with the UK having the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Europe. In England, there were 41.9 conceptions per 1,000 15 to 17-year-olds in 2007. Levels in Scotland are almost the same. | Many of the Foyers provide accommodation for young parents. It's much-needed, with the UK having the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Europe. In England, there were 41.9 conceptions per 1,000 15 to 17-year-olds in 2007. Levels in Scotland are almost the same. |
| Accommodation is clean and safe... and for two years only | Accommodation is clean and safe... and for two years only |
| But even if Gordon Brown's pledge comes off, it would be wrong to expect that all homes he envisages would look like the Barking model. Mr Brown promised to invest £30m in such projects over the next three years, buying 500 new places. | But even if Gordon Brown's pledge comes off, it would be wrong to expect that all homes he envisages would look like the Barking model. Mr Brown promised to invest £30m in such projects over the next three years, buying 500 new places. |
| Yet this centre alone cost £17.5m. | Yet this centre alone cost £17.5m. |
| And not everyone is convinced by the idea of packing young mums off to sheltered accommodation. | And not everyone is convinced by the idea of packing young mums off to sheltered accommodation. |
| Dr Lisa Arai, an expert on the social needs of young people, says Mr Brown's blanket approach raises some concerns. | Dr Lisa Arai, an expert on the social needs of young people, says Mr Brown's blanket approach raises some concerns. |
| "It isn't a bad thing to offer people choice," says Dr Arai, author if Teenage Pregnancy: The Making and Unmaking of a Problem. "But the compulsory element worries me. It might not be appropriate for some young women." | "It isn't a bad thing to offer people choice," says Dr Arai, author if Teenage Pregnancy: The Making and Unmaking of a Problem. "But the compulsory element worries me. It might not be appropriate for some young women." |
| Sticking up for the rights of young, unmarried mothers is something of a thankless task these days. A popular complaint is that they get too much and expect the keys to a council house to be delivered along with their baby. | Sticking up for the rights of young, unmarried mothers is something of a thankless task these days. A popular complaint is that they get too much and expect the keys to a council house to be delivered along with their baby. |
| But staff at Barking Foyer say the young parents it helps are not looking to get something for nothing. In fact they can't. Its job isn't to spoon feed them - it's a "something for something" deal. | But staff at Barking Foyer say the young parents it helps are not looking to get something for nothing. In fact they can't. Its job isn't to spoon feed them - it's a "something for something" deal. |
| Along with a tenancy agreement, which is for a maximum of two years, residents have to sign a contract to work with support staff on achieving an individually drawn-up development plan. If they break it they're evicted. Few do. | Along with a tenancy agreement, which is for a maximum of two years, residents have to sign a contract to work with support staff on achieving an individually drawn-up development plan. If they break it they're evicted. Few do. |
| University drop-out | University drop-out |
| Training suites, such as a digital media training centre, are among the range of facilities on offer. But it's about life skills as well as qualifications, things like cooking and childcare. Peer mentoring schemes are also in place for youngsters to support each other. | Training suites, such as a digital media training centre, are among the range of facilities on offer. But it's about life skills as well as qualifications, things like cooking and childcare. Peer mentoring schemes are also in place for youngsters to support each other. |
| IT skills are taught with a state-of-the-art technology | IT skills are taught with a state-of-the-art technology |
| There's also a health and wellbeing centre on site and an advice and guidance centre run by the local authority. All the facilities are also open to local youngsters who aren't residents. The aim is to be at the heart of the community, not separated and excluded from it. | There's also a health and wellbeing centre on site and an advice and guidance centre run by the local authority. All the facilities are also open to local youngsters who aren't residents. The aim is to be at the heart of the community, not separated and excluded from it. |
| At the Foyers everything always comes back to getting the youngster to live independently and not giving them unrealistic expectations of life on their own. | At the Foyers everything always comes back to getting the youngster to live independently and not giving them unrealistic expectations of life on their own. |
| They are charged rent which is paid for directly our of their own pockets if they are working, which 27% of Barking Foyer's residents are. At £104 a week it's affordable but competitive. | They are charged rent which is paid for directly our of their own pockets if they are working, which 27% of Barking Foyer's residents are. At £104 a week it's affordable but competitive. |
| A creche is available for courses run on site, but if residents work or study elsewhere they have to sort out childcare, just like they'll have to when they move on. | A creche is available for courses run on site, but if residents work or study elsewhere they have to sort out childcare, just like they'll have to when they move on. |
| Young parents are some of the most motivated residents, say staff. Giving help to access what they need is the key, not judging them or saying those in charge know best. | Young parents are some of the most motivated residents, say staff. Giving help to access what they need is the key, not judging them or saying those in charge know best. |
| "We don't view these young parents as having made a mistake," Andy Palmer, head of Foyer services in the local region. "We're not judging them or telling them what to do. They come in with a set of circumstances and we help them decide if they want to move on. | "We don't view these young parents as having made a mistake," Andy Palmer, head of Foyer services in the local region. "We're not judging them or telling them what to do. They come in with a set of circumstances and we help them decide if they want to move on. |
| "It's about getting them to explore their aspirations and bring down the barriers there are to achieving them." | "It's about getting them to explore their aspirations and bring down the barriers there are to achieving them." |
| Performing arts student Keni, 22, who does not want to give her real name, has lived at Barking Foyer for six months and has a 11-month-old son. Already at university, she had to drop out when her relationship with her family broke down and she was left homeless with her baby. | Performing arts student Keni, 22, who does not want to give her real name, has lived at Barking Foyer for six months and has a 11-month-old son. Already at university, she had to drop out when her relationship with her family broke down and she was left homeless with her baby. |
| "For me the issue wasn't a lack of education, I'd always done well at school," she says. "People can find themselves in difficult situations for so many reasons. | "For me the issue wasn't a lack of education, I'd always done well at school," she says. "People can find themselves in difficult situations for so many reasons. |
| "For me it was family issues. I am very focused, determined and ambitious but that doesn't mean I don't need support, I do to deal with emotional issues in my life." | "For me it was family issues. I am very focused, determined and ambitious but that doesn't mean I don't need support, I do to deal with emotional issues in my life." |
| Living at the Foyer has enabled her to go back to university. She feels lucky to have such support but is looking forward to moving on. | Living at the Foyer has enabled her to go back to university. She feels lucky to have such support but is looking forward to moving on. |
| "It doesn't totally feel like home," she says. "I want my own place so I can decorate it how I want, really make it mine." | "It doesn't totally feel like home," she says. "I want my own place so I can decorate it how I want, really make it mine." |
| And for her fellow resident Shanyda, living in such a home has given her hopes and ambitions for her and her son's future. | And for her fellow resident Shanyda, living in such a home has given her hopes and ambitions for her and her son's future. |
| "It's changed me a lot," she says. "I had to do that for my baby and with the help I'm getting I've done it. I've fixed myself up." | "It's changed me a lot," she says. "I had to do that for my baby and with the help I'm getting I've done it. I've fixed myself up." |
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