I'm therefore pleased to announce that £3.7 million of funding will be allocated to the youth support grant to further evolve and strengthen the existing systems and services, with a focus on youth homelessness prevention, drawing on the principles of the Geelong model and adapting them for the Welsh context. The funding will also provide for training and resources to support school-based counsellors, education welfare officers, youth workers and other front-line staff to ensure they are equipped with wider knowledge of homelessness and the links to other risk factors in order to better prevent young people falling into homelessness.

It is imperative that the Geelong principles are embedded throughout existing services to ensure the seamless identification of young people at risk of homelessness and the services available to them. The £3.7 million of funding will therefore also be available to fund a youth homelessness co-ordinator within each local authority to drive forward this collaborative agenda.

The WCPP report recognises that an essential component in tackling youth homelessness is housing stability, which requires the provision of a variety of support and suitable accommodation options for young people. The Supporting People programme currently funds a range of projects to help young people access and sustain accommodation, and the affordable housing review is considering some of the wider structural questions.

However, the WCPP report tells me that there is a clear need to promote and encourage new and innovative options to both house and support young people. I'm therefore pleased to announce £4.8 million of funding to establish a brand new innovation fund to develop suitable housing and support options for young people. These might, for example, include housing first for young people, or projects specifically for young people leaving custody or leaving care.

It is vital that we understand the current landscape of housing options available to ensure that this investment is driven by the needs of young people. As such, I'm in the process of commissioning a short piece of work to assess current housing options for vulnerable young people, with a view to better understanding the gaps, and seeking to build on and develop the options available.

Another aspect highlighted in the WCPP report is what they describe as systems prevention. We know that children leaving the care system are at increased risk of becoming homeless. Many care leavers report being unsure how to manage household budgets or problems, feeling lonely, and, like many young people, they need support to transition to independent living. In recognition of this, the Welsh Government supported the development of the care leaver accommodation and support framework, through Barnardo’s Cymru, specifically for young people leaving care in Wales.

My department has been working closely with the social services department to identify barriers to effective implementation of the pathway and other measures that might be needed to support care leavers. A joint housing and social services led group is being established to sit under both the ministerial homelessness task and finish group and the looked-after children ministerial advisory group, which is chaired by David Melding, to strengthen the arrangements in place to successfully transition young people from care into independent living.

I'm also pleased to announce that £1 million of funding will be allocated to the St David’s Day fund, with the effect of doubling it and strengthening the availability of direct financial support for care leavers to support them to transition to and sustain independent living and help prevent them falling into homelessness. This funding seeks to provide some of the practical financial support to care leavers that others might expect from mum or dad, enabling their successful move towards adulthood and independence.

Successful systems prevention also involves a wider awareness amongst all professionals working with all young people about the risks of homelessness and the services and the interventions available to support young people. As such, I am allocating £0.25 million for new, targeted communications and engagement work. This will take two forms, one specifically for young people and the other for professionals who work with young people, to raise awareness, understanding and the take-up of services available. We'll work closely with the End Youth Homelessness Cymru campaign, whose expertise will be invaluable to test and advise on the approach.

The WCPP report highlighted the complexity of navigating the information available to young people. Therefore, in addition to targeted communications, I am also allocating £0.25 million for tenancy support work, including work with Shelter Cymru and its existing helpline, to ensure young people have wide access to information, advice and support services.

Deputy Presiding Officer, there is already a plethora of work going on underpinning this agenda across Government, including work on adverse childhood experiences, the whole-school approach to mental health, and a wider focus on emotional and well-being support for young people. It is important we continue to complement, align and strengthen existing pieces of work through joint working, and this funding is deliberately a mixture of innovation and evolution in order to do just that.

The funding allocations I have announced today take a collaborative and preventative approach to this complex issue, and demonstrate our cross-Government commitment to tackling youth homelessness. Thank you.