The plight of the asylum seeker and refugee has been misunderstood. PCC want to help you to understand that there are people arriving here alone, who are under the age of 18 yrs. They come from all over the world, where there is war and unrest. Many are suffering from trauma having experienced and seeing awful things happen to their families and communities. Others are brought to the UK through exploitation and the numbers of people being trafficked are increasing.

In 2002 PCC opened its first home to accommodate such people. We found them to be desperate and appreciative of a listening ear, help and support. They need a voice in a society that is in danger of alienating them. Media headlines painting a very different picture of the real reasons as to why they are here.

PCC welcome unaccompanied minors and we help them to access facilities and support that will enable them to start rebuilding their lives and build a future. They want to understand our culture, our city, our communities and feel a part of it. They want to learn basic life skills such as language, cooking and personal everyday needs. When they are firmly footed in these areas they can begin to concentrate on further education and also understand what pathway of life they will need to follow to achieve their personal aims, whatever these may be.

PCC want these young adults not to be misunderstood but to be empowered in what London has to offer with all its opportunities. To become fully intergrated and contribute to society. This is their aim too.

In 2010 there were 25,000 young people who left care and the support of being looked after. Many struggle with the pressures of independent living. Some find managing money, education, employment and relationships difficult to cope with. These people are only 18 years of age and while we recognise them as adults they are vulnerable and need help.

PCC  in partnership with Supporting People help these young people ahieve independency.  In the past young people leaving care used to be placed into their own flat and left with a benefit form and for obvious reasons, this did not work.  Our service provides accommodation and key work support. Over a six month to two year period we work with these vulnerable people to help them acquire employment or access education, manage their household bills, become a responsible tenant and achieve independency. For some it is also about understanding the responsibilities of being a British Citizen.