Young people who have grown up in care need support to ensure they don’t face housing crisis or a life on the streets.
Our ESIST Project, supported by the Big Lottery Fund, works with young people who are leaving care or have left care. We advise, advocate and support them at their own pace to avoid homelessness and secure a
positive future.
For over a decade we have been providing street based outreach to the most vulnerable and hardest to reach in Edinburgh. We listen closely to the different stories people have to tell about their lives but one factor appears more common than others – growing up in care.
It is for that reason that we developed our ESIST project for people aged 16 to 25 years. Working with young people before they make the transition from care to independent living and supporting them through it, we aim to avoid housing crisis, bypass rough sleeping and tackle addictions and health issues head-on to enable a life off the streets.
We go to schools to help young people avoid crisis in the first place. We hit the streets in the city centre and local neighbourhoods, to speak with young people and provide mobile advice, guidance and support on their terms, at their pace and most importantly, on their turf. For young people who need an extra hand, we develop relationships, agree action plans and achieve goals that the young people set themselves. We know that when people
are the agents of their own change, the changes are longer lasting.
