Rehousing
Our work extends beyond our hostel at Octavia View. Our resettlement accommodation helps to bridge the gap between hostel living and completely independent living by providing somewhere to live that has a lower level of support than the hostel and encourages the client to have a greater level of independence.
We also provide accommodation as part of the Fenland District Council’s FYPP (Fenland Young Peoples Project) initiative for young mothers and their babies in Agape House. We also work with Fenland District Council in providing emergency accommodation for families in Hope House.
Mill Close is at the end of a quiet residential close. Each accommodation block has its own garden. The buildings, individual flats and grounds are kept to a high standard. The overall environment feels homely and safe.
Mill Close accommodation is often referred to as “move on” properties. For some residents it is their final stage of their journey with The Ferry Project and for others it’s the start of their journey to independent living.
The accommodation at Mill Close comprises of 3 blocks of flats: Faith House, Agape House and Hope House. Each block serves a different purpose, however the main goal for all who live here is to support the residents to independent living in the community.
Faith House
Faith House is accommodation comprising of 12 bedsit style flats. They are a single person unit, fully furnished and equip with all necessary items that a resident will need to start enhancing their everyday living skills.
Faith House residents are at the final stage of their journey with The Ferry Project. They are referred to Faith House from our main hostel at Octavia View. These clients will have had extensive support at the hostel and have demonstrated the basic skills needed to live independently. At Faith House support is tailor made to the individual to prepare them for their next move into the community.
The focus of our support is around what skills the client wishes to optimise in preparation to live in their forever home and successfully manage their tenancy for years to come.
Clients can be supported in a variety of ways, including:
- Ensuring benefits are correct and claim for any other applicable benefits.
- Budgeting plans
- Shopping for food and preparing for a meal
- Paying bills / dealing with utility setup, Housing Benefit and Council Tax
- Maintaining a property and keeping a clean home
- Set up repayment plans with debt companies
- How to be a good neighbour
- Educational courses and volunteering
- Community activities
- GP / Mental Health
- Housing Option and preparing for your new home
- Back to work advice
Agape House
Agape House comprise of a total of six units. The top 2 properties are 1-bedroom flats that The Ferry Project use for their clients referred from Octavia View hostel, the residents in those flats receive the same support as the clients in Faith House. The other 4 units are 2-bedroom flats. These are specified for use by Fenland District Council’s FYPP (Fenland Young Peoples Project) initiative. They are affectionately known as “mum and baby” homes. They come fully furnished and equip with all necessary items needed for a young family.
Fenland Council refer young mums and their baby/children to the scheme. The expectation is that the young parent will be fully supported in this safe and secure environment for a period of up to 2 years. Although support staff from The Ferry Project are on site and are happy to help with enquiries or concerns, the supporting agents for these young parents are an external company. They are committed to the full support our other Mill Close resident receives and the focus again is to prepare the young families for independent living. The supporting agencies liaise with The Ferry Project staff and will often work together with the families to assist with personal growth and a successful tenancy.
The young parents have a safe garden area for children’s toys and a paddling pool in the summer.
The supporting agency will work together with the young parent in the following areas-;
- Ensuring benefits are correct and claim for any other applicable benefits.
- Budgeting plans
- Shopping for food and preparing for a meal
- Paying bills / dealing with utility setup, Housing Benefit and Council Tax
- Maintaining a property and keeping a clean home
- Set up repayment plans with debt companies
- How to be a good neighbour
- Educational courses and volunteering
- Community activities
- GP / Mental Health
- Housing Option and preparing for your new home
- Back to work advice
The move on procedure for these young mums is the same as residents at Faith House.
Hope House
Hope House comprises of a total of 6 units. One unit is used as an office for The Ferry Project staff. There are a further three 2-bedroom flats and two 1-bedroom flats. These homes are used to house clients from Fenland Council who need emergency accommodation. The clients usually have young children.
The families that urgently need accommodation at Hope House have various reasons for needing help and support. It could be a relationship breakdown to fleeing domestic abuse.
The Ferry project support workers are the residents point of contact and they will receive support based on a variety of needs and pressing concerns. Fenland District Council’s aim is to find a suitable home for them within a short period of time.