Hosts and people who have received support through the supported lodgings scheme describe their experiences.
Care leaver 1 – female young person aged 18 years
‘I’ve grown so much more as a young adult. I haven’t been as happy and positive in my life since being here. I think supported lodgings are extremely beneficial to young people, especially with the right support surrounding you.’
Care leaver 2 – female young person aged 18 years
‘My experience with supported lodgings has been the most memorable opportunity I have ever been given. To live in a household where not only you feel you’ve been given a second chance, but to feel the support from others is warming to say the least. During the year I had been involved with lodging, I was always reminded in little ways that this is a meaning for a fresh start. I detached myself from problems I once had and began making new memories. This whole experience helped me gain plenty of independence, yet I still had backup that I needed. It is extremely rewarding for both young person and the host. For me, it was great because I got to feel myself become more confident, committed and happy. What did I learn, as a whole probably independence but in a different way – I learnt how to talk and present myself in a mature manner, I can confidently take phone calls and ride public transport with no worries. Less importantly I can now cook!
As a host YOU can help someone else, to help themselves. You can watch them grow into the person you know they can be. It all starts with the small gesture of sparing a room, and this is a gesture I will always be thankful for.‘
Supported lodgings host 1 – single male who works full time
‘Over the years I have supported young people who have been in foster care and / or supported lodgings, and have witnessed first-hand how consistent care and support leads them to a better future. As a supported lodgings host, I am able to offer a structured, consistent and stable home. Overall my experience of being a host has been positive. The young person I support has a good level of independent living skills and these have improved with continued support. Yes there are challenges, however, the positives outweigh this.
Being a host does include some extra responsibility, however, I’m still able to continue with my day to day life. I’m able to balance work, social life and further developments along with being a supported lodgings host. Wrexham Council has a Supported Lodgings Coordinator who offers support to hosts and helps access services for both the young person and the provider. Hosts are well matched with young people by the supported lodgings team, and they act as a bridge between the host, young person and the leaving care team. I’ve never needed to contact the Emergency duty team for urgent support, but am aware that someone is available 24/7 to provide support should I need it.
Young people who access supported lodgings have often have experienced inconsistency in their lives – as a supported lodgings provider you can provide that consistency and security.
Becoming a host for Wrexham Council means I can give something back to the community and secure a future for some of our young people. As a host, my advice is – if you have a stable home, a spare room and feel you can support people to become confident and independent, please contact the Supported Lodgings Service – they will be able to provide you with all of the information you need, if you would also like to speak to a host directly, that can be arranged’.