Lindsey's story

Lindsey has been a Supported Lodging Host Linsey for young people for three years with Together for Children, speaking about the role she said:

I first heard about Supporting Lodgings through my job as a Supported Housing Manager. I've always wanted to foster but the idea of being a host came along and I thought it would fit well with my life, and I absolutely love it.  It doesn't feel like a job, it just feels natural and like the young people are meant to be in my home.

"My first match was with a young person who stayed with me on an emergency basis for a month, the second was 17 when he moved in, and he stayed until he was 19 when he moved in with his girlfriend. I now host a 17-year-old who has been with me for a year, and he has really come out of his shell in this time.  At first, he didn't speak to me at all, but now we're going on holiday together and we're really looking forward to it and being just me and him. 

 "I was made homeless at 18 so I've been through similar experiences to the young people that stay with me, and I just want to give them a normal, home environment where they can be themselves.  I love that I can help the young people to have a good start in life and help them to move on; it's something I didn't get growing up, so I find it very rewarding.  Ultimately the young people are happy and that's the main thing for me.

"I would highly recommend people find out more about being a Supported Lodgings Host it's really rewarding and if you've not got children like me, it does feel like I've got my own little family in a way. It is hard work and you do have to get used to being around teenagers which can be daunting for some, but you get loads of training and the support is really in depth before you even start.  My work background helped me to adjust, but for those who haven't done anything like this before you get a lot of help and support from the team and there's plenty of opportunities for extra training. There's always someone there to help you on the phone too and we do in person training where we get to speak to others about their experiences and share advice."

If you want to find out more about Supported Lodgings contact Laura Mills, Supported Lodgings Officer, on supportedlodgings@togetherforchildren.org.uk or call 0750 082 6729.