Following a competitive tendering process we have recently awarded Young Devon, LiveWest, and Westward Housing contracts to provide local supported and semi-independent accommodation services for young people in Torbay.

Young Devon is providing a semi-independent provision for young people aged 16 to 17 as well as Supported Lodgings, a service for 16 to 24-year-olds who live in a local host family setting. LiveWest will provide semi-independent accommodation for those aged from 16 to 24 through The Torbay Foyer.

Westward Housing are providing self-contained independent supported accommodation for young parents. Westward will provide a service supporting young parents in the challenges and opportunities to become the very best parents they can be, accessing our wider partnership parenting support services and networks including the integrated 0-19 partnership of health and community support services across Torbay.

The purpose of these services is to provide supported accommodation for each young person and give them the tools to transition into adulthood and independent life through teaching of living skills, engagement in the community and access to training and employment opportunities. Each of the contracts are for an initial period of three years running until April 2024.

Nancy Meehan, Director of Children’s Services at Torbay Council said “This is another example of the wider improvements that we and our partners are making to support our young people on their journey to achieving and sustaining successful independent living being part of our wider Sufficiency Plan and to reduce Youth Homelessness.

Young Devon, LiveWest and Westward Housing are all well-established and integrated key local providers of semi-independent accommodation and all offered significant additional benefits and social value to their contracts in support of our Community and Corporate Plan and ambition: we want Torbay and its residents to thrive”.