Trainer flats, when available alongside a care pathway approach and life skills, can be instrumental in helping young people on their journey to independence.
What are trainer flats?
When we talk about a trainer flat, we mean a small space within a block of six to eight independent flats, containing a kitchenette and living area, occupied by a young person as a means of aiding their independent living. Trainer flats provide a unique mix of independent and group living, with ground floor flats being occupied by a support worker 24 hours a day so service users always have access to support if they need it.
Trainer flats are intended to be a certain size, so service users aren’t overwhelmed with managing a large space straight away, and it prepares them to live independently in a larger space, such as a semi-independent flat or house, or with some support, for example.
When are trainer flats suitable for service users?
Trainer flats are great for creating an environment where service users feel safe and supported. That’s why it’s essential to work closely with the service users to understand and assess their needs before deciding if a trainer flat is the environment for them to be in.
When considering where a trainer flat is the right fit for an individual, service users should demonstrate that that they can very nearly live independently. This could mean that they are able to cook for themselves, shop appropriately, keep themselves and their flat clean, while also managing a small environment.
It’s easy to forget that most young people are only used to having their own bedroom – living in a trainer flat means they now have a kitchen and bathroom to look after too. Trainer flats act as a stepping-stone before full independence.
In our experience, we have found that formally assessing service users on a six-week basis to understand if they’re ready or assessing what additional support they’ll need to be ready to move into a trainer flat, has been beneficial.
What are the key benefits of trainer flats?
Ultimately, trainer flats give young people the opportunity to trial living independently in their own environment, but with the benefit of having support nearby. This level of independence is likely something that they won’t have had before, so creating a supportive environment is key.
Trainer flats also give service users a chance to live in a space where their neighbours are in similar situations, making the prospect of living alone less daunting. Trainer flats signal to young people that they’re on the path to living independently, helping them to visualise independence as the end goal. That said, if service users don’t thrive in trainer flat, there must be a flexible option to change their environment at any given moment, depending on their needs. For example, they could change from living in a trainer flat to group living with a support worker, where there is an emphasis on more support if they feel this is what they need.
Our experience with trainer flats
In our experience, we have found that trainer flats are essential in helping identify whether services users are able to move further towards independence or whether they’d benefit from some more support to get them there.
We’ve seen first-hand the impact that trainer flats can have on service users and have found them to be instrumental in helping vulnerable young people to confidently live independently, preventing the need for further intervention from local authorities later down the line.
Trainer flats help to provide service users with more than just a place to call home; the continuation of support can help them develop and build long-lasting life skills to be independent. We strongly believe they should be adopted by more organisations in the future to ensure continued and long-term success for independent living.
Nick Thornhill is managing director at Bedspace
