Homer House
Homer House provides stable and secure accommodation underpinned by a support structure promoting respect and creating opportunities for young people aged 16 to 21 who have already experienced social exclusion by society and for whom existing provision is not appropriate to meet their needs. We provide:
- 18 units of accommodation for young people with multiple and complex needs
- In-house accredited pre-basic training programme for those who are unable to access mainstream education, training or employment
- Coordination of a multi-agency assessment process
- Structured individual programmes
- A multi-agency monitoring and review committee
- Specialised, professional in-house services
The demand for Homer House evolved from a gap in provision for young people who either exhausted all alternative provision or were rejected as too high support needs for other existing housing and support services.
LEAP moved to Homer House in July 2010. The new building has great new facilities including an activity area, training kitchen, ICT suite, meeting rooms as well as more staff space. On top of this it also gives us additional accommodation for young people. Clients were involved in choosing the colour scheme and the result is a modern, light and comfortable space for staff and clients alike.
The project was realised through a partnership between three organisations – LEAP, a charity helping to improve training and accommodation prospects for young people; Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT), a provider of mental health and learning disability services; and Lindum Group, a successful local construction company.
This £3 million specialist facility is the first of its kind in Lincolnshire and has been funded through Futurebuilders England. A grant through the Social Enterprise Investment Fund (SEIF) has enabled the siting of photovoltaic cells and solar thermal panels which ensures that LEAP has an environmentally friendly supply of electricity and hot water in the building so reducing our carbon footprint. This is the largest array of photovoltaics in the City. In addition to this the grant has helped to improve ICT facilities for both staff and clients and has provided an enclosed and secure garden area which takes away the need for young people to congregate out on the street, thus reducing anti-social behaviour and fear of crime in the neighbourhood.
