Manchester City Council Item 7 Communities Scrutiny Committee 5 September 2012 City Council Report for Resolution

Report to: Communities Scrutiny Committee – 5 September 2012

Subject: Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender (LGBT) Young People

Report of: Liz Goodger, Manager, Communities and Inclusion

Summary:

This report gives an overview of the support the Council provides to LGBT young people in the city. It particularly focuses on the issue of homelessness in relation to this group.

Recommendations:

For information

Wards Affected:

All

Contact Officers:

Name: Liz Goodger Position: Manager, Communities and Inclusion Telephone: 0161 234 1285 E-mail: [email protected]

Name: Lee Anderson Position: Lead Commissioner Supporting People Commissioning and Strategy Telephone: 0161 219 2774 E-mail:[email protected]

Background documents (available for public inspection):

The following documents disclose important facts on which the report is based and have been relied upon in preparing the report. Copies of the background documents are available up to 4 years after the date of the meeting. If you would like a copy please contact one of the contact officers above.

Albert Kennedy Trust Third Sector Team grant file Youth Fund grant applications

32 Manchester City Council Item 7 Communities Scrutiny Committee 5 September 2012 1.0 Introduction

1.1 Manchester City Council has a long history of promoting equality and diversity across all equality groups.

1.2 This report focuses on the support the Council gives to LGBT young people on the issue of homelessness. It sets this specific support in the context of mainstream and commissioned services for all young people, which are available to LGBT young people. The report also briefly describes the funding the Council makes available to groups in the city to work with LGBT young people on a range of issues.

2.0 Background

2.1 There is evidence to suggest that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people may be more likely to become homeless than their peers.1 In addition to the risk of becoming homeless for the same reasons as any young person, LGBT young people may face intolerance and prejudice from their parents or other caregivers and may have mental health problems because of difficulties coming to terms with their sexual or gender identity.

2.2 There is some evidence that LGBT young people can be vulnerable to sexual exploitation when homeless2, though it is not clear whether this risk is higher for this group than for other young people.

3.0 Targeted response

3.1 Manchester City Council funds the Albert Kennedy Trust to provide advice and information, mentoring and outreach and awareness to LGBT young people (25 or under). The Trust expects that they can use this funding to reach around 80 young people a year. The Council also funds Albert Kennedy Trust to provide supported accommodation for homeless LGBT young people. The Trust will be attending the meeting and can describe their services in more detail.

3.2 The Council also funds a range of organisations to support LGBT young people across the range of needs they may have. General support, guidance and advice to this group may help reduce the risk of young people becoming homeless. Details of groups funded and activities carried out are listed at appendix 1.

1 Studies in the US have found that between 25 per cent and 40 per cent of homeless youth identify as LGBT, compared to 5 per cent - 7 per cent in the population as a whole. Cited by National Youth Homelessness Scheme http://www.communities.gov.uk/youthhomelessness/widerneeds/lgbtmodule/ 2 Out On My Own: Understanding the Experiences and Needs of Homeless Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth, University of Brighton, June 2006 http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/outonmyown.pdf p.11.

33 Manchester City Council Item 7 Communities Scrutiny Committee 5 September 2012 4.0 Mainstream services

4.1 The Council works with partners to provide a range of services to young people who are homeless or who may be at risk of becoming so. LGBT young people are able to access these services

4.2 The Young Peoples Support Foundation (YPSF) has been commissioned to manage Manchester’s Homelessness Prevention Protocol for 16 to 17 year olds. Following a holistic assessment of young people’s needs, and in addition to preventing homelessness amongst young people, the protocol also oversees the provision of advice and guidance on homelessness prevention and support in securing suitable, safe housing. YPSF are in the process of collating their equality data. If possible, this data will be tabled at the Committee.

4.3 The Directorate for Adults, Health and Wellbeing also commission a range of housing related support for young people. In addition to commissioning the Albert Kennedy Trust to provide supported accommodation, the Directorate commissions support for up to 581 young people (aged 16 to 25), from 11 providers through the Supporting People programme. Support commissioned through the programme focuses primarily on young people leaving care, young people at risk, and teenage parents. Support is provided either in accommodation based schemes or in a young person’s own home, on a time limited basis, to support them to gain independence and develop skills to live independently. Personalised plans are agreed with each young person and include support to achieve skills such as:

o Life and coping skills o Social skills o Behaviour management o Budget Management o Tenancy Management o Help to access training, education and employment.

4.4 Equality monitoring of the Supporting People programme was extended in April this year to include sexuality. An analysis of young people newly referred for support between April and June suggests that 11 LGBT young people began to receive support, 3.9% of newly supported young people. However 52 young people did not wish to disclose their sexuality (18.5% of newly supported young people). This is only the first quarter’s data, further work may therefore be necessary to ensure young people feel more confident to disclose their sexuality and to ensure staff are trained to ask for this information.

4.5 The city’s homelessness service provides a range of services to customers who are at risk of, or have become homeless:

 Statutory and Prevention Services  Supported Accommodation  Community-based support

34 Manchester City Council Item 7 Communities Scrutiny Committee 5 September 2012 The focus of the services is on:

 Early intervention to prevent people becoming homeless.  Providing a range of housing and support options that enable customers to live independently and positively in the community.  Assessing and discharging statutory duties in a timely and appropriate fashion.

4.6 In 2011/12 146 young people under 18 and 1,790 young people aged 18-24 approached the service for help. The service does not monitor the sexuality of customers.

4.7 There are also some new supported housing schemes in the city which LGBT young people may be able to access. There is a scheme under development by Manchester Settlement/Mosscare to provide supported accommodation for 30 young people: Looked After Children aged 16 &7, care leavers and young people at risk of being taken into care. In addition, St Vincent’s are developing a branded model of affordable shared housing (Snug Bug) for young people across Manchester. The development of the model has been overseen by a multi-agency steering group. It is intended that 30 houses (100 units of accommodation) be provided within a year.

5.0 Conclusion

5.1 LGBT young people in Manchester are supported in a variety of ways, through community and voluntary groups and through mainstream and commissioned services. The Albert Kennedy Trust provides tailored homelessness services to this group.

5.2 The monitoring of customer’s sexuality is improving, however without comprehensive monitoring across mainstream, commissioned and grant funded provision, it is not possible to estimate the scale of this issue in Manchester. The Equality Team is currently working with services across the Council to improve the equality monitoring of our service provision.

35 Manchester City Council Appendix 1 - Item 7 Communities Scrutiny Committee 5 September 2012 Appendix 1

MCC Commissioned LGBT Youth Provision

Youth Fund

1. Manchester City Council made the Youth Fund available to commission youth related activities from voluntary sector organisations in the city from 1 August 2011 to 31 March 2013. Contracted activity is for young people aged 13-19. The fund was jointly commissioned by Children’s and Neighbourhood Services and reflects the jointly agreed Valuing Young People Strategy.

2. The purpose of the fund is to ensure that vulnerable young people, and those for whom the City acts as corporate parent, who are furthest away from the labour market, have access to positive targeted activities appropriate to their needs and which will allow them to flourish in a safe environment. Through the delivery of local projects, which provide a variety of programmes of informal learning and self development, the aim is to support young people to engage in a range of educational and recreational pursuits to help reduce their dependency and move them closer to economic independence.

3. The offer to young people may include: training in literacy and numeracy and social skills, motivating activities such as the arts, leisure, sports and multi-media, outdoor and residential opportunities, health and self image building projects, help with CVs, job searching and interview skills.

LGBT Provision

4. A number of organisations have been commissioned to develop and facilitate provision targeting LGB&T young people across the city. Details below.

Gaydio

5. ‘ Youth Academy’ is a media project, focused on radio, incorporating journalism, production and research. Gaydio aims to empower young LGB&T people and give them opportunities not available in a school environment to reduce instances of young people exiting education, training or employment as a result of not being able to deal with the negative effects of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

6. For any young people that identify as NEET Gaydio will work with them to seek further employment, education or training opportunities. Pathways for this include long-term volunteering for the organisation and referrals to partner organisations such as BBC Radio Manchester.

LGF

7. The LGB&T young people’s project aims to provide a range of informal learning and self development opportunities aimed at LGB&T individuals, and supports attitudinal change in non-LGB&T young people. The two main delivery routes are

36 Manchester City Council Appendix 1 - Item 7 Communities Scrutiny Committee 5 September 2012 through support to schools, colleges and community groups and life skills taster sessions. LGF works with schools, colleges and existing community youth groups (LGB&T specific where relevant, but focussing on generic groups) to create environments within schools and make LGB&T young people aware of support services available to them. Each of these groups would also be supported in developing its own activities. Helping to make existing groups and educational environments more inclusive of LGB&T people and provide sessions which are positive and empowering around issues of sexual orientation and gender identity.

8. In addition, life skills taster sessions aim to provide a basic grounding in key areas such as sexual health, mental wellbeing, personal safety and relationships. Attendance at these sessions will also facilitate referral to the more in-depth Programme for Independent Living and mentoring programme that The Albert Kennedy Trust operate, as well as additional support offered by LGF including face- to-face counselling.

LGBT Youth NW

9. This provision takes place at the LGBT centre in Central Manchester, as well as through outreach services across the city, including in North and East Manchester. LGBTYNW also facilitate an outreach street-based support service, which focuses on the ‘Gay Village’ and Cathedral Gardens.

10. Young people are offered support to have their voices heard through local and national youth voice mechanisms. The project helps young people progress by training them in volunteering skills e.g. [peer] inspectors/ educators/ researchers/ interview panel members. The project also provides cultural development opportunities through initiatives with partners such as The Contact Theatre, The Edge (LGBT Theatre Company), Manchester Pride, Manchester Art Gallery and the Whitworth Art Gallery. Support is available for parents and carers of LGBT young people in partnership with Manchester Parents Group.

11. An annual programme is offered to young people, including residential trips, cooking, allotment gardening, sex and relationships training in partnership with Brook (Sexual Health Charity), as well as a range of arts and sport opportunities. Young people are also supported to access other services e.g. homelessness services including through working with Albert Kennedy Trust and the Young Peoples Support Foundation.

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