what are supported lodgings?
Teenagers across Wales want their independence, and it’s no different for foster children. Supported lodgings help young people who are stepping down from foster care to a lower level of care and support, but are not yet ready to live independently.
Some teens and young adults who enter care in their older years, may have been used to a level of independence and self-sufficiency, and might find being fostered by a family restrictive. Supported lodging could provide a happy alternative.
Supported lodgings are a type of living accommodation for young adults that acts as a pit-stop towards independent living. They provide a stable, home-like environment to the young person while they develop essential life skills so they can strike out on their own.
The hosts offer practical and emotional encouragement, helping young people grow more confident with adulthood essentials such as budgeting, cooking, shopping, and being a good tenant.
When it comes to responsibilities, being a supported lodgings host is less involved than fostering – so, if you have a spare room and the desire to help young people build their confidence, this might be the perfect option for you.
who are supported lodgings for?
Supported living for young adults is aimed at teens aged 16 or over (with an upper age limit of 21 or 25 in some cases) who need semi-independent living. They might be moving on from foster care or residential care, or arriving in this country as a young refugee
Often, these young people will either still be studying, training, or starting their first job. All young people need a supportive environment where they can receive advice from a trusted adult as they build their independence.
how long can a young person stay?
Supported living for young adults can vary in duration between several weeks and several years, depending on the individual’s needs and wants. The level of support from the supported lodgings host would also vary based on the young person’s requirements.
The matching panel will try to ensure that a host and a young person are suited; however we’re aware that things can change when living together. Sadly, supported lodging arrangements can sometimes break down due to disagreements, the young person not keeping to the Living Together Agreement, not doing chores, or not paying their contribution. We encourage hosts to communicate any challenges as early as possible, so we can try to work through them.
Not all supported lodging arrangements work out, sometimes the host may need to end the arrangement, or equally, a young person may be ready to move on earlier than planned. If it does need to come to an end, we just need to be notified as early as possible, so we can look into an alternative.
what does a supported lodgings host do?
As a supported lodgings host, your main responsibility is offering young adults a home to live in and a supportive environment they feel safe in. Constant care and parenting behaviour are not required, but you’d be helping the young person learn how to handle their money, cook, and manage their daily routine, navigate the job market, and other relevant skills for independent living as well as providing emotional support.
how are supported lodgings different from fostering or care homes?
Supported lodgings shift the focus from care to support, allowing young adults more freedom, along with more daily responsibilities. The main areas where we see differences between supported living for young adults, fostering, and care homes are the children’s age and the care level.
For instance, while both care homes and foster families provide care for both younger children and older teens, supported lodgings typically cater to young people over 16 only.
The level of involvement also varies –care homes provide group-based residential care, while a home fostering arrangement focuses on more individual full-time parenting; supported living accommodation for young adults, meanwhile, means more independence for the young person, with support from an adult when needed.
what support is available for hosts?
Just because there are fewer parenting responsibilities doesn’t mean you’d be on your own if you decide to offer up your home for supported lodging.
Your point of contact for host support will vary across Wales. In some instances, it would be your dedicated local authority team for young people aged 16 or over, or a team within the fostering service. On other occasions, this might be outsourced to a not-for-profit or charitable provider.
The support team can provide additional training at the request of hosts, or if we see a need for it, depending on the young people’s requirements.
The ongoing training, which is usually online or involves a chat with an expert on the subject, can help you support the young person you’re hosting through any challenges they are facing. You might want more knowledge of substance misuse, autism and learning difficulties, or even the refugee asylum process – whatever you feel you need to learn to better support them, we will assist you.
do you get paid for supported lodgings?
The payments you’ll receive as a supported lodgings host will help cover the additional bills, including food. The young people will usually be out at college or work during the day and buy their own lunch, so you’ll just need to provide a basic breakfast and a hot evening meal. You’re not expected to supply a teenager’s snacks. Sometimes it’s helpful for the young person to have their own cupboard in the kitchen for food that they’ve bought for themselves.
The total supported lodgings host payment may vary depending on where you are in Wales, and the level of support that the young person needs.
The young adults should be working towards employment or education. They will be expected to contribute a small additional amount towards the bills and weekly shop, from their wages, education maintenance allowance, or universal credit. This helps build habits of paying bills on time and being good tenants, ready for the real world.
can I work full-time and still offer supported lodgings?
Yes. There’s no expectation for supported lodgings hosts to give up their full-time job; in fact, many people who offer supported living for young adults continue to work, all while being there for their lodgers when needed.
Supported lodgings is an ideal way to support care-experienced young people, while also working full time. Hosts need to be there for the young person, but it’s not a requirement to always be at home.
The level of support needed will be matched with your availability on a case-by-case basis. We can also make sure there’s support available if you go on holiday.
who can offer supported lodgings?
We welcome supported lodgings hosts from all walks of life across Wales – whatever your relationship status, parenting experience, ethnicity, employment situation, gender and sexuality. It also doesn’t matter if you’re a homeowner or a tenant yourself, though we’ll need permission from your landlord if that’s the case.
As with our foster carers, we’d need to run DBS and medical checks. Besides that, the main requirement is that you can provide a safe environment and support to the young person living with you.
Hosts need to have a suitable living space to accommodate a young person and provide them with a level of independence. This typically means a spare bedroom, which needs to include a bed, blinds or curtains, and somewhere for the young person to store clothes, such as a wardrobe, drawers, or a rail. The bed does not need to be a double. The young person would also require access to a bathroom, kitchen, and living space.
benefits of supported lodgings
Supported living accommodation for young adults can be beneficial for both the young people and the hosts.
Young adults, for instance, will have a stable place to live where they feel safe. They’ll be able to rely on the guidance of a trusted adult when needed, while still maintaining a level of independence. Plus, as well as boosting their confidence, this arrangement can also improve their outcomes in education and employment.
Hosts, meanwhile, have the chance to make a lasting impact and support a young person as they prepare for adult life. In addition to the sense of purpose and connection this brings, supported lodgings hosts receive training, financial support, and the opportunity to build relationships within their local community.
how to become a supported lodgings host
The process of qualifying to offer supported lodgings typically begins with an initial chat between your household and your local authority team; this would likely be paired with a home visit, where you can ask questions as we get to know you.
Applicants then need to complete the mandatory training involving videos specific to supported lodgings. Mandatory training is usually online and may include trauma-informed approach to supporting young people, child protection, food hygiene, GDPR, equality and adult safeguarding.
If you have previous knowledge or experience of hosting overseas students, teaching, working with young people, or parenting, this prior understanding of young people’s needs is useful – but it’s not essential.
Following this, we’ll conduct our assessment, asking your views and opinions to build a picture of you and your own life experience, including all the necessary background checks, as well as two character and one employer reference.
The approval process is normally quicker than when becoming a foster carer, usually involving two or three visits, and – if all goes well – approval within three to four months. This can be a great way to “dip your toe” and gain experience as a first step into social care.
Once you’re approved, you’ll be provided with training, so you can expand your skills and be there when young lodgers need you.
Finally, we’ll find a young person who best matches your home environment and background, so everyone gets the most out of the supported lodging arrangement. This may not happen straight away, but the best outcomes happen when we match you with a young person that we feel you can help.
ready to offer supported living for young adults near you?
If becoming a supported lodgings host sounds like the right fit for you, reach out to your local authority team – we’d love to have a chat about next steps.
