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Care Leavers

At Handcrafted, we are committed to supporting young people as they transition from care to independent living.

Our work with care leavers across the North East focuses on providing long-term housing, support, and opportunities for growth, empowerment, and stability.

We house our care leavers in their own, independent Handcrafted properties, providing the foundation for them to flourish in a safe and supportive environment. Our approach includes regular welfare checks, gathered activities, and consistent guidance to empower young people to take their next steps, whatever they may be. With isolation and homelessness being a rising concern for moving on Children in Care, we believe that this is a crucial place to invest time, and put compassion at the heart of working with some of the most vulnerable young people to ensure that they are drawn into community and have a place to call home.

In addition to housing and support, Handcrafted offers care leavers valuable opportunities to build confidence and gain hands-on experience. Our enterprise pathway allows young people to work with us in various roles, including work experience opportunities in catering and t-shirt printing. This initiative acts as a stepping stone toward future employment, encouraging young people to develop new skills and discover their potential.

At Handcrafted, we are passionate about creating new opportunities for care leavers to thrive. By combining stable housing, emotional support, and practical experiences, we help to guide young people in building brighter futures and moving forward with confidence.

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Testimonials

I have referred a number of offenders to Handcrafted.  The offenders can attend the project several times per week if they wish to, if not daily. This means that they have some where to go and something constructive to do with their time. They can learn new skills or continue to develop skills they already have. They are given the opportunity to try projects they would probably never have considered themselves able to do.

They all take great pride in the items they produce and some have expressed interest in forming their own small businesses on the back of the skills they have learned.

Most of my offenders have then begun to work on their own projects outside of Handcrafted, for example, one produced a bench for a new nature reserve. The offender stated that he feels he has left a legacy for other people to benefit from. Again, this gives them something constructive to do with their time, gives them a sense of pride and self worth. All of this is extremely positive for the offender and helps to deter from further offending.

Lesley G, Durham Constabulary