Setting up home alone can be a daunting prospect for any young person, but without family support it can be scary indeed. Nick Morrison looks at a scheme which aims to help.

IF it were left up to her, Gemma admits she'd probably be living on crisps and snacks and her bedsit would resemble a rubbish skip. That is, if she were still able to carry on living there, after the water and electricity had been turned off. Her story could be another one to join the sorry catalogue of young people who set up home on their own, only to find they just can't cope.

It's not just making sure the bills are paid before the court summonses arrive and acquainting the carpets with the vacuum cleaner once in a while. There's also the matter of knowing how to cook, and, just as importantly, what to buy, to make a limited budget go as far as possible.

"It was scary at first. It was the first time I had been by myself," Gemma says. "I don't think I would have coped if I hadn't had the support I had. I would have been lost and wouldn't know what to do."

But while this will be a familiar situation to almost every teenager who has decided to set up home on their own, the difference in Gemma's case is that she has not been able to turn to her family for help with budgeting, cooking and generally looking after herself. Instead, help has come in the shape of the Tees Valley Housing Group (TVHG), through an initiative pioneered in Hartlepool and now spreading throughout the rest of the North-East.

Targeted at young people aged 16-25 who are unable to count on their family, and have been in foster homes or residential care, the floating support scheme aims to ensure they can live independently, by providing advice, practical help and encouragement.

Billy Barnett, TVHG support housing co-ordinator, says the scheme was set up as a result of concern at the high number of young people unable to cope with living on their own after leaving foster homes.

"What used to happen was they would move into a property and they would have no support, and we thought this was the best solution," he says. "We found them one of our own properties and placed them there, and then we work closely with them to help them stay there.

"We make sure they get all the grants that are available and all the benefits they are entitled to, and help them furnish and decorate the property. We support them through college or training and try and get them into jobs, give them help with paying their bills and cooking, and generally support them for however long it takes.

"We want to ensure that when we do eventually withdraw the support, they are capable of looking after themselves and sustaining their tenancy."

Gemma, now 17, left home last year as a result of family problems, and after a few months in foster care, she moved to the St Paul's Centre, a residential centre in Hartlepool run by TVHG. After six months there, she moved in with her boyfriend, but when this didn't work out, a month later she moved into a bedsit in the centre of the town, under the umbrella of the floating support scheme.

"I have had help with budgeting my money; learning how to be independent and how to live by myself; how to do decent shopping; cook; clean and cope with my bills," she says.

Early on in her tenancy, Gemma ran into trouble with her water bill and was threatened with court action to recover the arrears. With the help of a support worker, she was able to arrange a payment scheme to avert the threat.

'I don't think I would have been very good at paying bills, but someone always comes round to make sure I have got them under control," she says. "When I was living at the centre I only had shopping to buy, but now I have got everything - electric, gas, TV licence, the lot.

"And when I was at the centre someone used to come with me to the shops and make sure I got proper shopping instead of snacks. When I first moved in, all I ever bought was crisps and Pot Noodle, but now I know how to go out and buy food for meals."

A support worker visits Gemma at least once a week, or more often if she asks for help, and she is also free to drop in to the St Paul's Centre at any time. She has visits from social services nearly every day.

The floating support scheme now has 14 places in Hartlepool, with a waiting list of young people wanting to join. And since it was launched, it has been expanded to take in Grangetown, Middlesbrough, Stockton, Darlington, Bishop Auckland and Sunderland.

Projects have also been set up for young people with particular needs, including refugees in Middlesbrough, and young parents in Darlington.

"It is very open-ended, and we provide support for as long as people need help," says Mr Barnett. "We can't have a cut-off time, where we say we will withdraw the support after a year, because by then they should be able to cope on their own. We make a commitment to these young people to help them to go on to independent living.

"Everyone knows there is a need for this - if we want young people to succeed in life and in their tenancies, then we have to be prepared to support them, for however long it takes."

For Gemma, the experience of living on her own has still been daunting, but the support she has received has made it manageable, and may have made the difference between being able to hang on to her first home, and being forced to give up.

"It was scary at first, but I've got used to it, and it has helped me become more independent. I have grown up a lot - I've had to - and I feel like I'm getting the hang of it now," she says.

"Knowing that I have got someone there, and all I have to do if I have a problem is to pick up the phone, makes a difference. Sometimes it is still scary, but I feel lots better in myself and I'm really enjoying it."