As we mark Youth Mental Health Day 2025 with its powerful #ShareSupport theme, there's no group more deserving of our focus than care leavers—young people who face some of the greatest challenges in achieving both stable housing and good mental health. Recent government reforms removing local connection barriers represent a watershed moment for these vulnerable young adults, and supported living has never been more crucial in helping them thrive.
Care leavers represent one of the most vulnerable populations in our society, with mental health challenges significantly higher than their peers. The transition from care to independence is fraught with difficulties, and without the family support networks most young people take for granted, many struggle with anxiety, depression, and trauma-related conditions.
The statistics surrounding care leavers paint a stark picture: they're more likely to experience homelessness, unemployment, and poor mental health outcomes. As Balbir Kaur Chatrik from Centrepoint notes, "Care leavers are often extremely vulnerable young people and lack the support networks that many of us take for granted."
Government Reforms Remove Barriers
The government's recent announcement represents a significant step forward for care leavers' housing rights. New changes, which come into force next month, will exempt care leavers under 25 from local connection rules that restrict access to social housing for those that do not have a connection to the local area, ensuring the most vulnerable can access the housing support they need.
The Secretary of State for Housing captured the urgency perfectly: "It breaks my heart to hear countless stories of people leaving the care system... and not having a place they can truly call home. We're rewriting the rules to help get them a roof over their heads and the security they deserve."
This reform recognises a fundamental truth: care leavers under the age of 25 should no longer be unfairly penalised for not having a local connection, acknowledging the unique challenges they face when transitioning out of care.
The Supported Living Solution
While social housing reforms are crucial, supported living offers an even more tailored approach for care leavers, particularly those with complex mental health needs. Unlike traditional social housing, supported living provides the perfect stepping stone between institutional care and complete independence.
Graduated Independence with Mental Health Support
Supported living recognises that care leavers don't just need a roof over their heads—they need environments where they can develop life skills, build confidence, and address mental health challenges with professional support. Our properties provide:
- 24/7 Support Availability: Mental health crises don't follow a 9-5 schedule. Supported living ensures help is available when young people need it most
- Peer Support Networks: Living alongside others who've faced similar challenges helps reduce isolation and stigma
- Structured Environment: Predictable routines and support structures help young people develop stability and coping mechanisms
Building Life Skills and Resilience
For care leavers, the transition to independence can be overwhelming. Supported living properties offer:
- Practical Life Skills Training: From budgeting and cooking to maintaining a home, young people learn essential independence skills
- Educational and Employment Support: Staff can help with CV writing, job applications, and accessing further education opportunities
- Mental Health Intervention: Early identification and support for mental health issues before they escalate
The #ShareSupport Connection
This year's Youth Mental Health Day theme of #ShareSupport resonates powerfully with the supported living model for care leavers. In our properties, we've witnessed the transformative power of peer support:
Shared Lived Experience: Care leavers supporting each other through their understanding of the care system, trauma, and the challenges of independence.
Breaking Down Isolation: Many care leavers feel alone in their struggles. Supported living creates communities where young people realise they're not facing these challenges alone.
Building Trust: Having experienced disrupted relationships and placements, care leavers often struggle to trust adults. Peer support allows them to learn from others their age who've walked similar paths.
How Supported Living Transforms Lives
Katharine Sacks-Jones from Become highlights the importance of stability: "Too many children in care are moved away from the people and places that matter to them... Removing the local connection test will prevent forced moves, could help reduce homelessness and give care leavers a more positive start to adulthood."
Supported living amplifies this benefit by providing not just stable housing, but stable, therapeutic communities where care leavers can:
- Develop Healthy Relationships: Learning to trust and form positive relationships with both peers and support staff
- Address Trauma: Accessing specialist mental health support while living in a safe, stable environment
- Plan for the Future: Having the security to focus on education, employment, and personal goals rather than just survival
The Role of Property Investors and Care Providers
The government's reforms create new opportunities for supported living providers to work with care leavers who previously couldn't access appropriate housing. Property investors can make a profound difference by:
Creating Therapeutic Environments: Properties designed with mental health in mind—quiet spaces for reflection, communal areas for peer support, and adaptations for those with specific needs.
Long-term Partnerships: Working with experienced care providers who understand the complex needs of care leavers and can provide trauma-informed support.
Flexible Accommodation Options: From single-occupancy flats for those ready for greater independence to shared houses for those who benefit from more intensive peer support.
Looking Forward: A Brighter Future for Care Leavers
The government's £39 billion investment in affordable and social housing represents "the biggest expansion in a generation," but for care leavers with complex mental health needs, supported living often provides the most appropriate solution.
As we support Youth Mental Health Day 2025, we must remember that for care leavers, mental health and housing security are inextricably linked. Without stable housing, it's almost impossible to address mental health challenges. Without mental health support, maintaining stable housing becomes incredibly difficult.
How You Can Help #ShareSupport for Care Leavers
This Youth Mental Health Day, consider how you can support care leavers:
Property Investors: Explore opportunities to create supported living environments specifically designed for care leavers' needs.
Care Providers: Develop services that combine housing with trauma-informed mental health support and life skills development.
Communities: Support local initiatives that help care leavers integrate into their neighbourhoods and build social connections.
Policymakers: Continue advocating for reforms that recognise care leavers' unique needs and remove barriers to appropriate housing.
Creating Homes, Not Just Housing
The removal of local connection barriers is a vital step forward, but it's just the beginning. Care leavers need more than just access to housing—they need homes where they can heal, grow, and develop the skills and confidence needed for independent living.
At Supported Living Gateway, we believe every care leaver deserves not just a place to live, but a place to thrive. By connecting property investors with experienced care providers, we're helping create the supported living environments where care leavers can share support, build resilience, and write new chapters in their lives.
This Youth Mental Health Day, let's commit to ensuring that every care leaver has access to the stable, supportive housing they need to achieve good mental health and independence. Because when we #ShareSupport with our most vulnerable young people, we're not just changing individual lives—we're building a more compassionate society for everyone.
If you're interested in learning more about supported living for care leavers, or exploring investment opportunities in this vital sector, please get in touch at hello@supportedlivinggateway.com
To support Youth Mental Health Day 2025 and learn more about the #ShareSupport campaign, visit stem4.org.uk/youthmentalhealthday
You can also find the government paper that is referred to in this article here https://www.gov.uk/government/news/vulnerable-people-given-greater-access-to-social-housing
