When Leaving Care Means Losing the Safety Net – Why Supported Housing Matters
A new government-commissioned review has highlighted a deeply concerning reality for young people leaving care: those who leave the care system are around three to four times more likely to die between the ages of 18 and 24 than other young people of the same age.
In 2025, 112 deaths of care leavers aged 18–24 were notified. Twenty-two of those young people were just 18 years old. The review highlights how the transition into adulthood can leave some young people without the relationships, stability and support they need at a crucial point in their lives.
At Hope Housing, Training & Support, we believe this should make all of us stop and think about what we mean when we say a young person is "independent".
Independence doesn't mean being left alone
For many young people, turning 18 is a time of new opportunities. But for someone who has experienced care, trauma, homelessness, addiction, mental health difficulties or other complex challenges, simply reaching adulthood does not mean that those challenges disappear.
Moving into accommodation and being told to manage bills, appointments, relationships, health, education, employment and everyday life alone can be overwhelming.
The recent review highlights concerns about young people losing significant sources of support as they leave care, with some experiencing isolation and a lack of a safety net.
At Hope, we believe independence should be built, not demanded.
Supporting people to build a future
Hope Housing provides supported accommodation for adults who may need more than a roof over their head.
Our approach is centred around the individual. We work alongside residents to help them develop the skills, confidence and stability they need to move forward.
This can include:
One-to-one support
Support with maintaining accommodation
Health and wellbeing support
Counselling
Education and training
Personal development
Life skills
Support with appointments and accessing services
Recovery-focused support
Opportunities to develop confidence and independence
Help preparing for move-on and more independent living
Our Hope Support Model™ recognises that meaningful change takes time. People need someone to listen, someone to encourage them and someone to help them navigate the challenges that can otherwise become overwhelming.
A safe place can be the beginning – not the end
Accommodation alone cannot solve every problem.
But having somewhere safe to live can provide the foundation from which someone can begin to address other areas of their life.
A stable home can create the opportunity to focus on recovery, education, employment, relationships, health and personal development.
That is why at Hope we aim to create more than accommodation. We want our residents to feel that they belong, are supported and have people around them who believe they can build a different future.
The importance of connection
One of the strongest messages coming from the new review is the importance of connection.
The Government has responded by announcing £25 million of funding this year to expand housing programmes designed to provide care leavers with accommodation alongside stronger networks of support and relationships.
We welcome this recognition that housing and support cannot always be separated.
At Hope, we see every day how important relationships can be. A conversation with a support worker, attending a group, learning a new skill, getting involved in an activity or simply knowing that somebody will notice when things are not going well can make a real difference.
Everyone deserves someone in their corner
The statistics in this new report are about real young people, real families and lives that have been lost far too soon.
They remind us that vulnerable young people cannot simply be expected to navigate adulthood without a safety net.
At Hope Housing, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to feel safe, supported and hopeful about their future.
We believe independence should mean having the confidence and skills to move forward — not being left to cope alone.
Our aim is simple:
To provide a safe place to live, someone to turn to, opportunities to grow and the support people need to build a better future.
Because sometimes, having someone in your corner can make all the difference.
Hope Housing, Training & Support is committed to providing person-centred, trauma-informed and recovery-focused support to adults facing complex challenges.