Hostel Day Services

Chris Foster House provides a range of Day Services which are available to residents and ex-residents of the Hostel.  Therapies and Counselling are two of the busiest services and prove very helpful in reducing client’s stress levels enabling them to engage with other services.  Arts and Crafts also proves very popular with residents.  Other services include Cooking; Gardening; Benefits & Budgeting; CV & Job Search; Computing Skills; Sports including use of the local Leisure Centre at reduced rates, and Accommodation Search. 

We also work in partnership with a wide range of other agencies who provide specialist skills.  Visiting specialist services include North Herts College’s Cooking Skills Course and Stevenage CAB’s Debt and Benefits advice service.

Stevenage Haven started running Broadway’s It’s Your Move training programme in 2009 and through a grant received from the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England & Wales we have been able to run a rolling programme of the course at the Hostel for 9 months from January to October 2010.  This has allowed most front line staff members plus some volunteers and sessional workers to become involved in running the course.  Staff have also been able to further modify the course material for our clients needs. 

As well as running the It's Your Move course on a regular basis, Stevenage Haven is now looking at using individual course  module content on a one to one basis with clients to address support needs identified during support planning sessions.  Where multiple clients are identified with similar needs then a group session would be planned.

Through an Awards For All grant, Stevenage Haven has also been able to purchase interactive voting terminals, a projector and laptop to allow interactive content to be included in MS Powerpoint course material and to allow greater engagement and participation by clients.
  
It's Your Move sessions are grouped into five general categories to reflect the five outcomes which Supporting People believe supported accommodation schemes should be working to achieve in all clients:


Be Healthy: Sessions on healthy eating, dealing with alcohol/drugs, sexual health and accessing health care.


 
Economic Wellbeing: Sessions on day to day budgeting, dealing with debt, paying bills, accessing safer credit and setting up bank accounts.

 
Enjoy and Achieve: Sessions on identifying training, preparing for job interviews, writing CV's and noticing problems with basic skills.


 
Make a Positive Contribution: Sessions on accessing voluntary placements, valuing diversity, service user involvement and getting the most out of support workers.
 
 
 
Staying Safe: Sessions on preventing accidents in the home, housing options, dealing with neighbours and sustaining your tenancy.


"It’s Your Move’ is a tenancy sustainment educational programme which is designed to help the clients of Stevenage Haven move on with their lives and move in to their own independent accommodation and maintain a positive life-style."  Feedback from clients attending the courses has been extremely positive to date and we intend to continue running the course on a regular basis for all future clients.







   STEVENAGE HAVEN providing Shelter and Support for Single Homeless People
Stevenage Haven, 5 Ditchmore Lane, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 3LJ
Tel: 01438 354884;  Fax: 01438 340155;  E-mail: info@stevenagehaven.org.uk
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