Supported lodgings hosts share their home with a young person and help them gain the practical and emotional skills they need to live well independently.
They are positive role models who provide a safe living environment and comfortable bedroom, as well as guidance, advice, and support so the young people can develop everyday life skills.
Who is eligible to be a host
Hosts must be over 21 to offer supported lodgings.
They can be:
- married, single, or in a relationship
- own their own home or rent a property
- employed and offer supported lodgings alongside their job
- from all kinds of cultural and ethnic backgrounds
Hosts should have the time, communication skills, understanding and patience that is needed to work with young people and the issues they face. This may come from personal experiences of being a teenager, or from having contact with young people, for example, through work.
We don't need you to have any specific qualifications.
What we ask you to provide
We ask that hosts provide young people with around 15 hours of direct support a week to help them to:
- sustain positive employment, further education, and/or training
- improve emotional wellbeing
- develop the practical, social and emotional skills needed for independence
- reduce their vulnerability and loneliness and integrate well into society
- meet their cultural needs and ensure that they are not discriminated against because of their gender, sexual identity, faith, ethnicity or disability
Hosting young refugees
Unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people often arrive in the UK with no family connections and no documents. They are 16 and 17 years old when they arrive and need a safe place to live while their case is investigated. They are keen to settle down in supported lodgings placements, further their education and contribute to society.
What we ask you to provide
As a host, you would need to provide the stability and guidance these young people need while they are rediscovering their independence. They may also need help adjusting to a way of life that is unfamiliar and adapting to a different culture and lifestyle.
How long you would host for
They will usually stay with you at least until they turn 18, but longer stays will depend on the young person’s age, their ability to live independently, and their immigration status.
Whether it is for a week, a month, or a year, your support can help guide a young refugee towards a positive future, giving them the opportunity to learn and regain their independence in a new country.
Support and training
Training will be provided to applicants as part of the initial assessment process and there are minimum training expectations we expect hosts to complete.
Hosts have access to support groups where they meet other hosts and discuss their experience of providing supported lodgings homes for young people.
Supported lodgings hosts are paid at a rate of £233 per week.
Supported lodgings is different to fostering
Supported lodgings is for young people aged 16-21 years old and you would not provide a home for anyone younger than this. Some young people are ready for independent living at 18 and move on to their own accommodation.
Young people that live with you will already have a level of independence and will not require your care. You will provide support to help them transition to live in their own property.
What happens next
Contact us with any questions you may have and to find out more details about the assessment process.