The Housing Education Project

Overview | Streets Ahead | My Space My Place | Local Authorities

Streets Ahead

The national guide to leaving home and housing for young people in Scotland.

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The Streets Ahead guide is an innovative resource addressing the issue of leaving home and housing. It has been warmly welcomed by young people and those working with them. Since its launch in October 2002, more than 40,000 guides have been sold and distributed throughout Scotland . A second edition was produced in November 2004 and a third edition in January 2007.

The Streets Ahead guide looks at a range of leaving home and housing topics. Each topic is covered by a short, youth-friendly booklet, with the complete set of booklets packaged in a zip-up CD carry case. The guide helps young people consider their full range of options and raises their awareness of the support that is available It also introduces them to the challenges other young people have experienced in leaving home and living independently.

In addition, the pack can be supplemented by additional booklets, such as local directories or project specific material.

You can review the content of the guide on-line at: www.leavinghome.info.

Streets Ahead is:

• A comprehensive guide to leaving home and housing for young people aged 14 -25 in Scotland
• A key housing education resource used by local authorities as part of their homelessness strategies and their advice and information strategies
• A means of encouraging young people to seek advice and information from workers before problems become crises
• A tool for youth workers and teachers in housing education programmes
• A resource that young people keep far longer than a stand alone booklet, flyer or leaflet

An Innovative Format… The guide is not just one booklet but a series of sharply titled CD sized booklets contained in the pockets of a zip-up CD carry case. The format lets the young person browse through the covers of all the booklets and quickly find the one they want. Each booklet is fronted by a photograph that reflects the theme and a key question that establishes its content.

                                                                                For example, there is a booklet titled ‘I’m not safe at home, who can help?’ and another ‘What will housing offer me, and do I have to take it?’ Because there is space for CDs, computer games, leaflets and other paperwork, young people can tailor the guide to suit themselves. This dual use gives Streets Ahead added value and encourages young people to hang on to the guide.

Streets Ahead has been designed to be an easy to navigate, desirable product that is of a higher quality than most literature young people receive.

… and Relevant Content

Streets Ahead covers all the issues relevant to a young person leaving home and provides helpline numbers and essential contact details for every local authority in Scotland . It puts a firm emphasis on the importance of workers in this process, encouraging young people to seek advice on their situation before problems overwhelm them.

The guide covers the financial, emotional, legal and practical issues that will face a young person when moving out of home. It addresses them in a realistic and user centred manner and draws on real life experiences allowing young people to identify with the information and advice given. The advice and information in the guide is supplemented by a directory that gives core numbers for each local authority area and lists all relevant national helplines.

Training

We offer training to support Streets Ahead and our I’m Offski! lesson plans and activities. As well as regularly running open training sessions across Scotland, we can be commissioned to run sessions specifically tailored to our clients’ needs. Contact the Youth Unit for more information, 0131 226 4382.

Local Directories Service

A number of local authorities have worked with us to produce local directory booklets to insert into their Streets Ahead packs. Contact the Youth Unit for more information, 0131 226 4382

Development of Streets Ahead

Research undertaken

SCSH has continually gathered information on the production of resources for young people since the phase one housing education project began in 1996 and has built up considerable expertise in this area.

The content and design of Streets Ahead have been inspired by the views of young people, gathered during extensive research by SCSH to establish the most effective way in which leaving home and housing information can be provided. The research has been published in "Watch This Space, Young People's Views on Writing and Designing an Effective Leaving Home Guide".

SCSH has also consulted with professionals from many housing, homelessness and young people's projects to ensure the appropriateness of the guide.

User Involvement

In addition to the research with young people a development group was created, made up of nine young people with experience of homelessness from projects across Scotland. This group contributed on a regular basis to the content and design of the guide.

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Streets Ahead has been endorsed by:

The Scottish Executive
Communities Scotland and Homepoint
The Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland
The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations
YouthLink Scotland
and has been welcomed by Learning and Teaching Scotland