Our pledge to care experienced tenants
This National Care Leavers Week (2024), we’re making a commitment to care experienced young people across Greater Manchester.
At One Manchester, we understand the challenges young people may face when transitioning into independent living from care. Becoming a tenant often comes alongside questions like “How do I manage my finances?” “What does council tax mean?” and “How do I pay my rent?”
National Care Leavers Week is a yearly reminder of the importance of acknowledging the difficulties of transitioning from care, raising awareness, and doing our bit to offer practical and emotional support to care experienced young people.
Today (Tuesday 29 October) marks the second day of National Care Leavers Week 2024 and the official launch day of the Greater Manchester Housing Providers (GMHP) Care Pledge. Alongside the Mayor of Greater Manchester (Andy Burnham) and other social housing providers in our city, we've committed to the Care Pledge. By doing so, we’re making sure we provide as much support as possible to any care experienced tenants in Greater Manchester, as well as our own.
One Manchester has pledged to offer quality, stable homes, alongside employment and skills opportunities, mentoring, and wider support in the transition from care to independent living.
To us, this commitment is a continuation of the work our Staying Close Co-ordinator has been doing over the past year. By offering different types of support to young people such as tenancy management guidance, interdependent skill development, and wellbeing tips, their work has been crucial in paving a path for us to implement the pledge.
Alongside our commitment, we’ll also be launching a Peer Mentor programme to provide additional support to young people. This will be shaped by the lived experiences of its members, aiming to empower care experienced tenants and champion independence.
