Housing and Supported Living
Supported Lodgings Scheme
Lodgings Providers' Information
The Supported Lodgings Scheme is Bath & North East Somerset
Council’s response to the growing concern about the lack of housing
options for young people in the local area.
Many young people who leave the care system or who can no longer
stay at home are aged just 16 or 17. Their experiences and
the difficulties they face tell us that they are often not ready to
cope on their own.
The Supported Lodgings Scheme aims to bridge the gap to
independent living. It gives young people the chance to
develop the practical skills and emotional stability they will need
to make the transition to adulthood and make a success of living
independently.
How does it work?
Supported Lodgings Providers rent rooms in their homes to young
people and give them the support, encouragement and guidance they
need to develop the skills and confidence to live
independently. The young person becomes part of the household
and shares the facilities.
Lodgings Providers work in partnership with the young person and
the Adolescent & Leaving Care Team Worker to provide a
programme of support that meets the young person’s individual
needs. Some will need help with practical tasks such as
cooking, budgeting or shopping economically. Others will need
more emotional support. Many will need both. The idea
is that the young people gradually take on more responsibility for
looking after themselves until they reach the point where they feel
confident about their ability to cope on their own
Qualities
You don’t need any particular qualifications to become a
Supported Lodgings Provider, but we do ask for some special skills
and qualities.
If you
- get on with teenagers
- are warm, caring and patient
- have a sense of humour
- could be a young person’s advocate
- have an understanding of the difficulties facing care
leavers
- want to make a positive difference
you could be exactly what we are looking for
Who can be a Supported Lodgings Provider?
We need people from all walks of life and from various cultural
and ethnic backgrounds. After all, young people also come
from diverse backgrounds and it is important that this is reflected
in the lodgings that are available.
For example, you could be:
- a family, a single person or a couple living
together
- black, minority ethnic or white
- heterosexual, lesbian, gay or bisexual
- disabled or able-bodied
- working or unemployed
It could be that you have the skills and qualities that we are
looking for because you have had children of your own, or because
you have experience of working with young people.
All we ask in addition, is that you are in good health, have a
spare room and that you are willing to share your home with a young
person who is homeless or leaving care.
If this sounds anything like you, we’d love to hear from
you!
All supported lodgings providers will be subject to
health and criminal background checks and must be able to provide
references.
What’s in it for you?
Supporting young people in this way is an exciting and rewarding
experience in itself, but you may also be able to benefit in other
ways.
- Financial support
- Training and support to help you deal with issues facing care
leavers and young people generally
- As a supported lodgings provider you may be able to access the
Council’s Property Accreditation Scheme
Interested?
If you can offer a safe and supportive environment to a young
person and provide a clean and comfortable room in your home, we
would like to hear from you. We will send you more information
about the scheme and details of our application process.
This information can be made available in a range of languages,
large print, Braille, on tape, electronic and accessible
formats. Contact the Information Officer on 01225 477983,
Minicom 01225 477043 or email
information_officer@bathnes.gov.uk
pdf version of this leaflet :
