About our project | The House Project

East Dunbartonshire’s House Project Launched in February 2021 with all staff and the first cohort of young people in place.

Through consultation with care experienced young people we identified that there was a gap in the support and preparation for leaving care and the experience was often challenging with young people feeling isolated and struggling to sustain their tenancy.

The House Project offered an innovative way for our young people to be take control of their future by supporting them to gain the skills and experiences they will need to live independent lives whilst developing lifelong communities of support.

Every young person in the house project has the opportunity to take part in a variety of experiences, such as planning and taking part in a residential and doing something for their community, which will equip them with lifelong skills and ultimately create and sustain their own homes.

Since launching in February 2021 we have supported all 10 young people from cohort 1 into their own homes with all young people completing the house project programme. In October 2021 another 10 young people joined the house project and are reaching completion of the programme with some young people already moving into their homes. Over the last year we have seen opportunities for our young people such as being part of the care leavers’ national movement, taking part in a peer evaluation of other House Projects and presenting a pitch in-house for funding to support activities promoting mental health and wellbeing. Our young people have also held a virtual networking event, prepared and shared over 40 meals together and created an animated film 'Cinderella' about their Local House Project journey. Watch Cinderella here https://youtu.be/LjzZFX3fuD8

What do young people think?

Hear what our Young People have to say about their Local House Project

Latest News

CYPNow - NHP Supports Care Leaver Apprentices

The National House Project (NHP) has been hosting apprentices since 2021. The organisation, which was incorporated as a charity in 2018, works with local authorities that have set up their own Local House Project (LHP), a scheme that helps young people leave care in a planned and supported way. Young people, both in and leaving care, are brought together in groups to create their first homes, learn new skills and join a long-term community of support that can develop pathways into education, employment and training. With 17 LHPs established across England, involving more than 700 young people, around half of these local projects provide apprenticeships as part of their offer, explains Sue Hammersley, director of NHP. There have been three young people so far that have undertaken an apprenticeship with NHP. Hammersley says all apprenticeships offered at NHP and across the LHPs are business administrative roles, although one project in Oxford has offered a participation apprenticeship after linking in with a local college.

House Projects in Scotland event - March 2024

We were delighted to be joined by Natalie Don, The Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise, Fraser McKinlay, CEO of The Promise Scotland and Heather Coady, an Independent Consultant, who share a passion and commitment to changing the system for people in, and leaving, care in Scotland. Not only did they address the conference but they got to hear from Local House Project staff and young people on how they are working together to improve the way in which young people leave care and how this meets the commitments made in The Promise in 2020.

Newsletter January 2024

Is it too late to wish you all a Happy New Year? Our last newsletter covered the first half of 2023, so we are taking this opportunity to share all the fantastic things that we have been up to in the second half of the year and what we have coming up in 2024.