Housing Case Study: Building Resilience

Before joining YMCA, Kayleigh experienced a highly traumatic upbringing. Along with her two sisters, she was removed from her family home due to severe domestic and sexual abuse. Following this, Kayleigh was placed in foster care until she was old enough to transition into YMCA’s supported accommodation.

Unsurprisingly, these early traumas impacted her wellbeing. Kayleigh arrived at YMCA struggling with significant mental health challenges, having required extensive counseling and medication from a young age. She was understandably anxious upon moving in. However, she was comforted by the presence of her sisters, who had both engaged with YMCA’s move-on project at different times, providing her with a crucial baseline of trust and a built-in support system within the building.

YMCA Intervention

To help Kayleigh stabilise and begin building a future, YMCA wrapped a comprehensive support network around her. She actively engaged with a wide range of services, including:

• Mental Health & Wellbeing: Ongoing mental health advice and counselling to help her process her past and manage her anxiety.
• Life & Tenancy Skills: Practical sessions focused on independent living, budgeting, and understanding how to manage a future tenancy.
• Education & Employment: Careers advice, access to education, and guidance on work experience and apprenticeship placements.
• Financial Literacy: Targeted support around navigating Universal Credit (UC), understanding working allowances, and managing outgoings.

Kayleigh was eventually placed in YMCA’s move-on project. This provided the perfect stepping stone, allowing her to experience the independence of having her own space while maintaining a safety net of on-site support.

Progress and Transformation

When Kayleigh first arrived, she was very quiet, reserved, and hesitant to approach staff when she was struggling. Over time, through patience, trust, and consistent support, her confidence grew massively. By the end of her time at YMCA, Kayleigh’s vibrant personality truly shone through. She would frequently drop by the office to chat with staff for an hour at a time and proactively asked for help whenever she needed it.

A major area of growth was her independent living skills. Initially lacking knowledge on how to manage a tenancy, Kayleigh used her time at YMCA to ask questions and prepare for her goal of moving into the private rented sector. When she faced hurdles securing a deposit and a guarantor for her new flat, she leaned on her sister for financial backing. YMCA staff supported Kayleigh through the anxiety of this process, providing extensive budgeting sessions and helping her understand how the deposit transfer would interact with her Universal Credit claim, ensuring she felt fully prepared to manage her new bills.

Outcomes and Looking to the Future

Today, Kayleigh has successfully moved into a private rented flat in Jesmond with a friend. She has returned to Newcastle College to complete her art studies. Looking ahead, her goal is to finish her course, transition off Universal Credit, and secure full-time employment.

Upon leaving the service, Kayleigh sent the following message to her support worker:

Hi! Thank you so much for your lovely message, that honestly means a lot to me 😊 I’ve really enjoyed my time here and I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done for me and my sisters 🙂 You’ve all been so lovely and supportive, so I’m definitely going to miss you all! Thank you again for everything and for always being there to help ❤️😊 x

A Word from Her Keyworker

Kayleigh’s journey is part of a broader story of incredible sibling resilience. Her keyworker reflects on the time spent supporting Kayleigh and her sisters:

Kayleigh and her two sisters have been a pleasure to work with during their time at the YMCA. All three sisters have made significant progress and achieved positive outcomes. One has gone on to attend Cambridge University, another has progressed to Leeds University, and Kayleigh has successfully moved on into a private rented property in Jesmond, requiring very little support from staff.

Despite experiencing a traumatic upbringing and a complicated family life, all three have demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination. They have worked hard to overcome the challenges they have faced, developed a positive outlook on life, and made the most of the opportunities available to them. Their progress is a great example of how, with the right support and encouragement, young people can overcome adversity, build confidence, and successfully progress towards their goals and independent futures.