ways to foster
supported lodgings
what are supported lodgings?
Supported Lodgings are homes that welcome care leavers, young people in care, or homeless children – they are similar to a bridging home between foster care and living alone. There are young people that may not be ready to live on their own and need a bit of guidance and assistance.
They often just need a supportive place to call home whilst they learn to stand on their own two feet.
The young person lives with you in your home, and they pay rent from their own money. This money will go towards providing a room and meals for the young person in your care. You will be encouraged to be their friend, to help them learn skills that will set them up ready for independent living and to support them. Most people stay for about 6-12 months before moving on, but of course it can vary.
who can live in supported lodgings?
The broad categories are young people that are:
- Homeless, aged 16 or 17
- Still in care, aged 16 or 17
- A care leaver, aged 16 – 21
The scheme is facilitated by the 16+ Team in Children’s Services.
If you are a foster carer for a young person, and you both wish for the child to remain in your care when they reach 18 years old, there is opportunity to have the placement converted to a supported lodging – speak to your social worker to find out more.
can I be a landlord?
As with foster carers, landlords are all different!
It doesn’t matter if you are single, live with a partner or have children living with you. It also doesn’t matter what your age is, or sexuality, gender, marital status or ethnicity.
We only ask that it’s important that you:
- like young people
- want to help young people learn to be able to cope with living alone
- will be a friend to them, if they let you
All landlords will need to be approved by the local authority. This will include medical and DBS checks, and be approved by our team.
supported lodgings locations
There are supported lodging placements throughout Rhondda Cynon Taf.
If you decide you’d like to know more, we can arrange an initial visit with you at your home to ensure it’s a suitable place for a young person to rent. You will then be contacted when there’s a suitable person to lodge with you.
who will I be providing a home for, and can I set my own house rules?
The eligibility criteria for young people to be placed into supported lodgings is to;
- want to be there
- be in education, training or employment
- be mature enough to live in someone else’s house and respect their views.
In terms of rules for the house, this is something we encourage you to be open and honest about from the start. It will be up to you to discuss things that may be important to you within the house, such as: smoking, girl/boyfriend staying over, cooking, cleaning, staying out late etc.
There will be regular, friendly meetings with your social workers throughout the duration of the lodgers’ stay. This is to check that things are going well for all parties, to check how everyone is getting along, and also to plan for when your lodger moves out.
how much rent will I be paid as a landlord?
The amount of rent you will be paid will vary and be discussed on a case-by-case basis prior to the young person moving in.
The young person will pay rent directly to you. They will be able to afford this because they will be getting paid if they are; on a training scheme, are in employment, or if they have a weekly allowance as a care leaver.
Their payments will cover rent and board, which means that all meals/food will be provided by you as a landlord, and budgeted for in the agreed rent.
If you’d like to discuss the matter of payment further, please feel free to contact us.
what if it doesn't work out, or it's not for me?
Not everything works out first time, and sometimes placements do break down. You have the right to decide that a young person needs to leave your home, but we just ask that you keep us in the loop and give as much notice as possible. This is so we can put a plan in place for the young person.
We know it doesn’t suit everyone, and that’s absolutely fine!
Perhaps you may want to consider full foster care instead? Please get in touch with us to discuss your options.
Sharing someone else’s home hasn’t always been easy, however my landlord was very friendly, and I’ve gained lots more confidence.
I like coming home and having someone to talk to about my day and it’s nice that my friends can visit.
I now realise I couldn’t have coped living on my own and starting college – it’s nice to be like the other students living in a family home, but having my independence as well.
