Care and support

PFI Project News Winter 2007/2008

As well as the formal consultation days that take place as part of this project, the young people are continually involved in day-to-day decisions about the homes they will be living in.

The young people at a home in Welwyn Garden City recently completed a short questionnaire about the furniture for their new home in St Albans, and gave the following feedback:

Bean bags for the bedrooms
The young people described these as comfortable, cosy and nice to relax on. Several of the young people asked for a greater variety of colours.

Sofa
The sofa got a unanimous thumbs down: the young people described it as uncomfortable to sit and relax on because it was too hard. They did however like the colour and fabric. As a result of this feedback, the sofa has now been replaced with a different model.

Bedroom Furniture
Some young people described this as being modern and a nice colour, however others liked the style but preferred a darker wood finish. Everyone felt it was a style they would choose themselves and found the design of the wardrobe useful, as it had less hanging space and more shelving for their clothes.

Other ideas
Finally, the young people were asked if they had any other ideas or preferences for furniture. Most of their suggestions were about garden furniture, however one person asked for a footstool in the lounge to go with the sofa.

The next step
Architects will soon be taking sample boards to the homes so that the young people can start to choose fabrics and materials.

News from the sites
November has been a busy month for the Young Herts PFI project, as all Phase One building and refurbishment projects are now underway and making excellent progress.

The five Phase One new builds are all at ground slab level, and work is commencing on the brickwork. The two refurbishments are nearly at the second fix stage, so things are certainly well on track.

Other News
Another exciting event also took place this month: a young representative of children and young people in Hertfordshire’s children’s homes was invited the Watford v West Bromwich Albion football match at Watford stadium. He was there to receive a trophy from Community Building Services (CBS), on behalf of all Children Looked After and young people in Hertfordshire.

The youngster was accompanied by four other young people, whose tickets had been provided by CBS, and his parents, who were given tickets courtesy of Watford FC. Also at the event were representatives from CBS and Hertfordshire County Council who were there as guests of Watford FC’s Community Sports and Education Trust.

Proudly wearing his VIP guest badge, the young footie fan enjoyed a meal before the match, before watching the kick off from the comfort of the hospitality area.

At half time he was treated to an awe-inspiring experience: he was invited down onto the pitch to be presented with the trophy. Photographs were taken, before he headed back up to the hospitality area where he was given a signed t-shirt before settling down with tea and cakes for the second half.

Community Building Service (CBS) are part of the Young Herts PFI project, and will be maintaining children’s homes and children’s centres on behalf of Hertfordshire County Council for the next 25 years. They also sponsor the Watford FC Community Sports and Education Trust, and last season they were the match sponsors for a game against Ipswich Town. As sponsors they were awarded a glass trophy, and it was this that they thought it would be nice to pass on to all the children and young people who have lived or are living in a Hertfordshire children’s home.

It was a thrilling occasion for all involved, and Hertfordshire’s young rep had a fabulous day that he’ll remember for many years to come.