Sanctuary Supported Housing is delighted to announce it has secured a four-year contract with the Thurrock Supporting People team to be the sole provider of teenage parent accommodation services in the borough.

Sanctuary currently runs Ruth House, a nine-bed hostel for pregnant teenagers and young mothers and their babies in Grays, Essex, which will remain a high support scheme.

In addition to this it will now run a five-bed scheme for young mothers, their babies and also couples, plus two flats for single mothers. Both sites, also in Grays, will be for people with lower support needs.

Sanctuary will also run the 20-hour weekly floating support service, which offers vital support to teenage parents in the wider community.

Sanctuary’s head of supported housing, Tim Susans, said: “We are dedicated to not only providing high quality accommodation and support services, but also to helping our service users to live as independently as possible.

“We are therefore delighted to be given the opportunity to expand the services we provide to teenage parents across the borough.”

The win highlights Sanctuary’s excellent reputation for providing specialist accommodation and support services to teenage parents and their babies.

Its current scheme, Ruth House boasts many success stories, including four young mothers recently obtaining Level 1 in Literacy and Numeracy National tests, with two continuing the course to achieve Level 2.

Four service users at the scheme made a successful funding application to Thurrock Council for a grant to transform a disused office into a soft play area.

Project manager Jayne Stonely said: “I am immensely proud of these service users as they have not only considered the benefits for themselves and their children, but have given the scheme a wonderful play space for future babies and children.”

“By winning this tender, Sanctuary Supported Housing will be able to give even better support to our service users and floating support clients. Service users at the accommodation based services will now be able to move on into the community and receive floating support from their existing key worker, which will ensure a seamless approach to continuation of support as they aim towards full independence.”

As part of its Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, Sanctuary will aim to raise awareness of the reality of teenage pregnancy by visiting schools and youth groups across Thurrock to provide valuable advice and information.