Could you open up your home - and heart - to a homeless young person?
29th Sep 2011
In August 2010 The Benjamin Foundation launched a recruitment drive with a difference. The Norfolk charity began a search for families in North Norfolk who were prepared to open up their homes to a young person with nowhere to live. Now, the Heart & Home Supported Lodgings service urgently needs more host families across the county to provide a safe and supportive home for a homeless young person.
The service provides homeless young people - usually aged between 16 or 17 and often looked-after children or care leavers - with a room of their own for anything between a couple of nights to a couple of years; it depends on the needs of the individual and the host family.
Families accepted as hosts play a vital role in helping these teenagers get their lives back on track and they receive comprehensive support and training from The Benjamin Foundation.
The Smith* family from North Norfolk decided to get involved with Heart & Home last year after hearing about the initiative from a family friend.
“Our two grown up daughters have left home and so we have a spare room. Also, I’ve recently finished working so have some time available to give support to a vulnerable young person,” says John Smith. “We obviously had some concerns before signing up for the project: your home is your castle so opening it up to someone who’s not part of your family – and who may, potentially, have some problems - is a big deal. But after lots of discussions and meetings with The Benjamin Foundation team, we decided to give it a go. What we hadn’t taken into account is that moving into a family home is an equally worrying proposition for the young person concerned. Garry*, who is now staying with us, had lots of questions about what rules we’d set and what kind of family we are.”
Garry is 17 and has spent much of his life in care, some of it outside his home county of Norfolk. He returned to North Norfolk but living back at home wasn’t feasible. He moved in with the Smith family in January, giving him the opportunity to remain in the county with his existing networks and friendships. Many looked-after children have to leave the Norfolk because of the shortage of placement opportunities within the county.
“Garry has his own room with a TV and he knows that it is his private space which we respect. Like any teenager, he likes to have a bit of chill-out time on his own but also likes to have company sometimes,” says Anne Smith. “We’re very family orientated and Garry is becoming part of that; he joins in with family mealtimes and he knows that his girlfriend is always welcome here too. Whilst Garry is free to do his own thing we do have a few ground-rules: he knows that he needs to tell us if he’s going to be home after midnight or when he won’t be home for tea; pretty much like any family.”
Whilst the Supported Lodgings initiative doesn’t require host families to take on a ‘parental’ role, Mr Smith says that they have already bonded with their young house-guest. “Garry comes to us for advice if he’s got a problem and we’re really proud of the way he’s starting to turn his life around.
“The Benjamin Foundation team supplies as much support as we need and we’ve had visits from the staff to make sure everything is going okay. It’s actually going better than we anticipated. We didn’t know much about Garry’s background apart from the fact that he’d been referred to the charity by Social Services and had had a few problems. He’s closed the door on some of the less positive connections he had in the past and we’re really pleased that he feels secure with us.”
Garry’s story:
“I was in care from when I was 11, moving from placement to placement. I ended up in a hostel in King’s Lynn before moving to another hostel in Norwich. I deliberately broke the rules because I wanted to get kicked out – I hated it so much. When the chance came up to move in with John and Anne I had a few concerns: I wasn’t bothered about rules because I’ve grown up with rules but I didn’t know anything about the family.
“But it’s been a fresh start for me. John and Anne have helped me find a voluntary job in the construction business and I hope it will lead to something permanent. I definitely wouldn’t have found this opportunity whilst living in a hostel; that environment can make you feel very stressed. I feel secure and part of a family now. I have people looking out for me. I’m also close to my girlfriend’s house which is one of the best things about being here.
“If any couples or families are thinking about offering a homeless young person with a place to live I’d ask them not to be put off by that person’s past. I’ve been turned down by foster families in the past because of my background. Please don’t judge someone by their history; most people are really grateful for the opportunity to make a change. Having a secure, stable place to live – knowing you’re not going to get kicked out - puts your mind at rest and makes life a hell of a lot better.”
Quantifying the real number of homeless people in a rural county such as Norfolk is difficult but The Benjamin Foundation estimates that the figure runs into thousands. The figure takes into account those on housing waiting lists, those living rough and the hundreds more ‘sofa-surfers’; that is people with no permanent home who rely on the hospitality of friends and family.
The Benjamin Foundation’s Housing and Homelessness team provides a wide range of services for those facing homelessness: crisis support for those who need immediate help; assistance for those leaving care; supported accommodation in homeless centres and move-on flats in North Walsham, Fakenham, King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth.
“Supported Lodgings provide a valuable alternative to our homeless centres,” explains Matt Garrod, Operational Manager for Housing and Homelessness at The Benjamin Foundation. “Our existing supported housing schemes offer 24 hour staff support. However some young homeless people – particularly 16 and 17 year olds, looked-after children and care leavers – would benefit far more from a home environment and the support of a family. It’s important to say that the expectations of a host family are not the same as for foster carers; these young people may only need a few weeks in a safe and kind home whilst they find a flat or rectify family problems.”
Host families are expected to provide a base level of support and a stable home environment. The young person needs his or her own bedroom with access to kitchen, bathroom and living area. Before being placed with a Supported Lodgings host family, every young person is carefully assessed and matched to the right family. The scheme is not designed for young people who require more intensive support.
Families who are accepted as hosts receive comprehensive training in Child Protection issues as well as going through The Benjamin Foundation’s own induction course. Families receive a support payment whilst the young person stays with them. Referrals of young people to the Supported Lodgings scheme are made jointly between District and Borough council housing teams and Children’s Services. The scheme is funded by Norfolk County Council Children’’ Services and Norfolk Supporting People. The Benjamin Foundation has been appointed to deliver the service due to its specialised experience in this sector.
If you would like to find out more about The Supported Lodgings service and how you can get involved, please visit www.benjaminfoundation.co.uk or call Matt Garrod on 01692 500999 or Letasha Reeve on telephone 01692 402207
