The Cove, a pioneering space for Newham young people who are leaving care is now open.
The newly refurbished resource, run by Newham Council and located in East Ham, was officially opened by Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE along with Mark Riddell MBE, a former care leaver who is the Department for Education’s National Lead Advisor for Care Leavers.
The Cove is a communal meeting and work space for care leavers aged between 18 to 25 which will provide an extensive range of activities and support. Care leavers are a group of young adults for whom the council has a responsibility.
Proposed programmes at The Cove that will enable young people to develop crucial skills so they can live independently include:
- Cooking lessons
- Sexual health and mental health workshops
- Parenting and baby classes
- Financial wellbeing sessions provided by Money House, an accredited financial literacy programme aimed at preventing youth homelessness
- Employment workshops from the Department of Work and Pensions and Newham’s Virtual School.
Support will be available through the leaving care team which will relocate to The Cove from October 2022. There will also be personal advisers and other members of the Leaving Care teams on site. The Care Leavers’ Forum, a group facilitated by the council will move to the Cove and will hold their monthly meetings at the site.
A working group of personal advisers and young people will develop a comprehensive activity programme which will be shaped by feedback and requests and ensure the voice of care leavers is at the heart of the work of The Cove.
Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz OBE said: “The Cove is a great example of the pioneering work we are doing in Newham to help and support our care leavers, work which was recently reflected in our ‘Good’ Ofsted rating. When I first became Mayor, I promised to transform the council and reverse the criminal underinvestment in our young people through an ambitious improvement plan.
“As well as providing a high quality dedicated space, The Cove will deliver access to health services, employment support and activities designed to support young people transition to adulthood. It is an example of the opportunities we are providing so care leavers, who face more obstacles than their peers, feel supported and safe to enable them to thrive.”
Councillor Sarah Ruiz, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services said: “Leaving care can be tough and we want to ensure our most vulnerable young people have access to the same opportunities as everyone else in the borough. Our young care leavers have been the driving force behind this fantastic initiative and they will play a key role in determining what shapes the Cove and its purpose going forward”.
Mark Riddell from the Department of Education said: "The Cove is a fantastic resource for care leavers. It is in the heart of Newham and accessible, a place to meet and get multi-disciplinary support and a place to call their own."