Our Service
Semi-independent supported accommodation for looked-after young people aged 16 and 17. This is not a children's home. Staff support young people to develop independence skills and prepare for adult life.
Ordinary houses in residential areas.
Our homes are ordinary domestic houses on residential streets in Birmingham. Each young person has their own bedroom and is supported towards independence.
Each house has a shared kitchen, living room, and bathroom. It is furnished and equipped. All utility bills are included in the placement fee.
Our homes have good transport links into Birmingham city centre and are well served by local amenities, including supermarkets, GP surgeries, and public transport. The areas are residential and appropriate for young people working towards independent living.
Photography of our homes is available on request. We do not use stock images to represent our accommodation.
Location
Birmingham
West Midlands
Own bedroom
Yes
Furnished
Yes
Age range
16 and 17
Bills included
Yes
Home type: semi-detached house in a residential area.
How the service runs.
Consistent, named support
Each young person has a named keyworker, allocated within 48 hours of placement, who leads on their support plan and is the main point of contact for commissioners. There is also one support worker per young person on every day shift.
Overnight cover
Overnight cover is provided by a sleep-in worker or a waking night worker, depending on the young person's assessed needs.
Support planning
A support plan is co-produced with each young person within 48 hours of placement. Plans are reviewed regularly and shared with the placing authority. Progress is tracked using the Outcomes Star.
Daily logs and reports
Staff complete daily logs. Significant events are recorded and reported to the placing authority on the same working day. Reports follow a standard format.
Staff recruitment and training
Staff are recruited through safer recruitment and complete a face-to-face induction before working unsupervised. Training and supervision are ongoing. Staff without a relevant qualification are supported towards a Level 3 qualification.
What a young person placed here can expect.
Young people placed at Ashden Support live in a shared house and manage their own daily routine. This is semi-independent living. Staff are present and available but do not run the house for young people.
Each young person has keywork sessions with their named keyworker at least twice a week. These cover practical skills development, progress toward goals set in the support plan, and any issues the young person wants to raise.
We support young people to access education, training, and employment where appropriate. We work with the placing authority on this as part of the support plan. We do not duplicate the role of the social worker or personal adviser.
Where a young person has health needs, we liaise with relevant services but do not provide health care. Our focus is on the independent living skills and the stability of the placement.
What this service is not.
Ashden Support is not a children's home and does not operate as one. It is regulated under the Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023, not the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015.
We work with young people who have moderate to complex needs, including histories of placement breakdown, exploitation risk, missing episodes, trauma-related difficulties and disengagement from education.
We do not accept young people under 16. We do not accept young people who need physical restraint or Deprivation of Liberty arrangements, young people with known sexually harmful behaviour posing a risk to others, young people with a significant unmanaged arson risk, or young people whose needs require a children's home.
Our role is accommodation and support towards independence. We do not take on the role of the social worker or the personal adviser.
If a referral does not match what we can provide, we will say so at the point of assessment rather than after a placement begins.
Want to make a referral?
See the For Professionals page for referral process, cohort information and response times.