Young people on the project complete the accredited House Project Programme. They will complete a variety of units to get them ready for independent living by developing and enhancing their skills, abilities and confidence, as well as working as a group to complete tasks like planning a residential and producing their own film.

We offer each young person a self-contained, one bedroom property in Manchester via a number of social landlords. We are currently working with registered social landlords (RSLs) who have housing stock in East, North and South Central Manchester.

• The Bury, Manchester and Trafford House Project started in January 2020, with our team being fully staffed from 31st March - just as we had been locked down!
• The House Project gives young people a sense of belonging, an opportunity to demonstrate and enhance their skills, and most importantly a place to call home.
• We work with Children Looked After from the age of 15 years 9 months. This is the time when professionals and young people should start thinking about permanence, and the House Project is an option which can be considered when pathway planning.
• We have thirteen Children Looked After and Care Leavers on Cohort 1 who are in the process of creating their new community and thinking about what they want to achieve.

What do young people think?

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

What does everyone else think?

Councillor Garry Bridges, Manchester City Council's Executive member for Children and Schools:

We’re determined to ensure no young person leaving care in Manchester falls between the cracks as they move into adulthood. We want to give them the best support possible to become independent and successful young adults, to be happy and to achieve their full potential in life.

Living alone for the first time is a daunting prospect for any of us, but particularly so for a Care Leaver who will often do this at a much earlier age than most young people and without the support of family members that other young people usually have.

The House Project will enable them to move into their own home whilst getting a bespoke package of support to develop the practical and emotional skills they need to live independently and to make their house a home.

Paul Marshall, Manchester City Council's Director of Children's Services:

Our young people are unique individuals. It is therefore important we have a range and choice of provision that is both responsive and adaptive to what they need. Adopting the National House Project adds a brilliant option to those we have already developed in Manchester and has a proven track record of success. Our young people deserve nothing less than the best response and I believe the National House Project and team will deliver this for them.