Become a Carer in our
Supported Lodgings Schemes
Most young people experience some difficulties when
they leave home, which occurs on average in Britain at the age of 23. This contrasts
sharply with young people leaving the care of local
authorities, where the age is generally 16 or 17. Teenagers who have been in care or
have been forced to leave home due to family
problems often find themselves struggling to cope
alone. Many lack the confidence and basic skills to live
independently. Without the support of a family, the
experience can be traumatic.
The Supportive Lodgings Scheme managed by Step by
Step aims to bridge this gap between home or being
in care, and living independently in the community.
Supportive Lodgings provides an opportunity for young
people to seek help and advice from a caring
landlord/landlady with the day-to-day living skills
that everyone has to learn. Usually all that is needed
is a listening ear, but inevitably some young people
will need more help than others.
Could you help?
 We need people from all walks of life —married or
single, with or without children,young or not so young. There is no 'standard profile' for a Supportive Lodgings carer - we can use people from a wide variety of backgrounds, experience and circumstances.
Of course, taking a young person into your home will require
careful thought and planning —it’s not something that
you should do lightly.
Some questions to consider are:
- Do you enjoy the company of young people?
- Do you enjoy a challenge?
- Do you want to do something worthwhile?
- Can you be creative in relationships?
- Are you non-judgmental?
- Would you be tolerant of some bad behaviour?
- Can you be an advocate and a friend?
If you can honestly answer ‘yes’ to most or all of these
questions and have a spare room in your house, we
would be very interested to hear from you.
Payments are available to cover rent and food costs,but
the main reward is the challenge of successfully helping
a young person to move confidently into independent
living.
Support for carers
24-hour support is available to carers through Step by Step.
Carers have access to a well-established support network run by other carers, and the young people themselves receive regular support and input from their social workers/key-workers.
Regular reviews are held to ensure that placements run smoothly and both the carer(s) and the young person remain happy with the placement.
You can download our Supportive Lodgings leaflet here, and you can have a look at the Job Description.
If you feel that you may be able to help please contact Barbara Wolfe, Supportive Lodgings Project Manager (01252 313158), for a no-obligation discussion.
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