Alok Sharma, the Member of Parliament for Reading West, on Friday 6th February 2015, visited Calcot Services for Children (CSfC) to find out more about their new post-16 services and accommodation.
In 2012, Alok visited Calcot Cottage, one of five care homes CSfC has been providing for children in Reading over a period of more than 20 years. In 2014 the organisation launched a new post-16 supported living service to help young people who have been in care to make a transition into an independent adult lifestyle and reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training.
Alok was given a tour of one of CSfC’s five new one-bedroom properties across Reading and West Berkshire, to see the kind of support being offered to young people. Alongside accommodation, young people are offered bespoke care packages which include access to AQA accredited learning, assistance in budgeting and managing their own home and support in accessing suitable employment, education and training.
Alok Sharma said: “I was very pleased to visit Calcot Services for Children again to find out more about the organisation’s excellent work helping local disadvantaged young people. I was really encouraged to hear that many of the young people CSfC have supported have gone into further education or work and are now living independently.”
Alok continued: “A turbulent lifestyle at a young age can be incredibly disruptive to a child’s education which is why the Government has introduced an extra £1,900 payment to schools for every child who has ever been in care or has been adopted as part of the Pupil Premium.”
Sarah Walton, Registered Manager for Calcot Services for Children’s 16+ Supported Living Service said: “It has been wonderful to welcome Alok back to Calcot Services for Children to discuss the expansion to our service and demonstrate the further work we are able to carry out for disadvantaged young people in the local area.”
Sarah continued: “Alok has always been a great supporter or the work that we do and has a real understanding of the challenges and barriers we can face when delivering these services. We are pleased to now be able to support young people into young adulthood and into maintaining their own accommodation and to achieving further great success with this resident group.”
