An innovative project which gives young people leaving care the tools to live independently has opened in Inverclyde.

The Practice Pad aims to meet a need for young people to better prepare them for their future aspirations of independent living, providing them the opportunity to increase their skills in a supportive environment with the help from HSCP staff with already established relationships.

Young people will spend time in the house learning life skills such as budgeting, cooking and cleaning, before progressing to staying overnight.

It is hoped the project will give young people the skills and confidence to live on their own as well as hands-on experience in managing a tenancy.

Councillor Robert Moran, chair of Inverclyde Integrated Joint Board - the organisation that oversees local health and social care functions delegated to it by the council/health board and delivered by the HSCP, said he was delighted to see the Practice Pad up and running.

He said: “This is a simple but clever idea which will really make a difference to these young people.

“What we’re seeing is young people ready to leave the care system but they may need some extra support to help develop their life skills further to empower them to succeed and thrive.

“This will give them the independence they’re looking for but with support from our HSCP staff should they need it.

“The aim is that they’ll then go on to live on their own with the skills and experience they need.

“I commend all the staff who have been involved in developing this project and making it a reality.”

The Practice Pad was developed by Inverclyde HSCP staff who took part in The Lens intrapreneur project.

The Lens ran workshops for HSCP staff who had identified a need or an issue in their sector and were looking for support to develop their idea.

Inverclyde HSCP agreed to put up funding and after a series of workshops, a handful of successful teams were chosen to pitch their ideas to a panel of senior managers.

The Practice Pad is the first project to come out of The Lens partnership with Inverclyde HSCP, with more in the pipeline.