What we do - Principal Housing

Our Approach

Our approach ensures that each young person receives a personalised service and bespoke package which is tailored to their specific needs.
We aim to build a therapeutic relationship to support and encourage the development of the necessary character and confidence

It is our aim at Principal Housing to guide and support young people onto the path for success. Now we know success comes in different shapes and forms, however we believe positive attainment, achievements, personal development and raised aspirations to be the initial key principles and stepping stones towards this.

The Directors planned for 2 years researching and forming evidence in order to develop a model whereby young people would be offered a standard of excellence. Our work ethos is to be a positive, skilled & efficient team in order to promote, provide and maintain the highest attainable standards of best practice and service provision.

We also recognise that collaborative working is essential in order to meet each individuals needs and our team of keyworkers, work closely with each young person and the varying professionals involved in their care. Our fundamental aim is to protect and ensure the safety of each individual placed with us, therefore, this multidisciplinary approach ensures that we are actively communicating with all agencies and working together in the best interest of safeguarding the young person.

At the foundation of Principal Housing, we promote positive outcomes wherever possible and young people are at the centre of the service. They are consulted in every possible area and this feedback is then used to shape our current and future practice to ensure their views, wishes and feelings are always taken into account.

Education, Employment & training (EET)

Our service offers the platform for development and advancement in EET. We pride ourselves in ensuring the best experience, by partnering with organisations who share not only our ethos, yet individually offer excellent opportunities for young people.

In order to offer a plethora of opportunities for young people to choose from, we have worked to build strong partnerships with local hubs of national groups such as Nacro, Job Centre Plus, recruitment agencies such as Blue arrow, Red recruitment. We also work with colleges as well as local training organisations and the awareness tap arts organisation whereby young people are invited to express and explore their creativity.
Our dedicated key-workers will work diligently with each young person to enable them to pursue their interests, develop their natural talents and also gain an understanding of the economy and how they can generate income for themselves via employment. Through structured supervision and our rigorous support packages, young people will be supported to choose EET and also to have high levels of retention by encouraging them, acting as a sounding boards especially during the settling in periods and with the positive reinforcement and incentivised schemes we operate at Principal Housing. We recognise that entering EET is often daunting for young people who are looked after and whom are transitioning to leaving care. Therefore, we offer a specialist approach for those who are not engaged with EET and offer a short term packages in external education via virtual school partnerships.

By offering ongoing support to ensure sustainability, our team are on hand to encourage, motivate and also challenge the young people on their journey to academic, vocational and/or economic growth.

Health and wellbeing

In addition to EET, we believe that a holistic approach to mental and physical wellness is imperative to gaining positive lifestyle skills that will benefit each young person.
Young people are consistently encouraged to engage in activities, interests, hobbies and are supported to access the required services to address their mental, physical, social and cultural needs. As well as providing this support, our team promote a healthy lifestyle through encouragement to participate in the varying activities on offer such as healthy eating and regular cooking sessions.

Additionally, young people will have access to pursuits such as music sessions, bike riding, art therapy & gym sessions etc. In the summer months, we have a gardening club where we grow our own fresh fruits and vegetables. Those who are interested in advancing their entrepreneurial skills, will also have the option to sell the produce at the local market. With a view to encouraging the building of a strong support network and to combat the loneliness often experienced by young people, we hold monthly social activities and family/friend days whereby enjoyable day or evening events are held either in or out of the house environment with a team member and the young people wishing to participate.

These activities are different on each occasion and chosen by the young people during our monthly resident meetings.We have our team on hand 24-7 for ongoing support and we understand that talking about your life can be challenging. Therefore, we offer a safe and supportive place to explore whatever may be on your mind and encourage each young person to utilise the 1:1 key-working, mentoring and counselling sessions in place. We also prioritise offering an individualised service which recognises the diversity of young people placed with Principal Housing. This enables us to positively respond to religious, language, gender, sexuality, disability, communication, age, and cultural needs. Therefore, our location is within the hub of the town, in close proximity to various religious/ spiritual places of worship, supermarkets, recreational establishments, colleges, further education institutes and other local amenities.