A Rochdale couple have shared the rewarding experience of opening their home to young people leaving care, as part of a supported lodgings scheme aimed at helping 16 to 21-year-olds find stability and independence.
For the past four years, Katie and her partner James have been supported lodgings hosts, providing a room and a family environment for young people who are no longer in care but still need a place to call home. Their journey began after friends became foster carers, inspiring them to explore how they too could offer support.
Because of their work commitments, traditional fostering wasn’t suitable. Supported lodgings, which offer a more flexible arrangement for both hosts and young people, proved to be a better fit.
“These young people have their own identity and at 16 they are a bit more capable of the basic stuff, so it was easy to fit into our footprint,” James explained.
Katie added: “They have to be in education or in an apprenticeship or doing something to be part of supported lodgings and I think that’s really important.”
The couple have celebrated milestones with their lodger, including them going to college, starting university and passing their driving test. Katie recalled a particularly moving moment when she saw the young woman happily skipping to her car on the Ring Doorbell camera, describing it as a reminder of the support they’d provided.
Hosts like Katie and James receive £241 per week from Rochdale Borough Council, alongside full training and support. They also have access to peer support groups where they can share experiences with others in similar roles.
“You are going to get a young person who wants to do something, who wants to be supported through college, through an apprenticeship, whatever scheme they have chosen, but at the minute doesn’t have somewhere safe to live and be supported through that,” Katie said.
Anyone interested in becoming a host must be over 21 and have a spare room. Being a parent or in a relationship is not a requirement, and hosts can continue working while providing support.
Reflecting on their experience, James said: “We’ve really jelled with our younger person, and it’s made the past couple of years quite nice.”
The couple’s story is being shared during National Supported Lodgings Week, 9–16 November, to raise awareness of the scheme and encourage more people to come forward.
Councillor Rachel Massey, cabinet member for children’s services and education, praised the impact of hosts: “From practical skills such as cooking, cleaning and budgeting, to support in accessing education, training and appointments, they enable our young people to meet their full potential.
“We desperately need more people to support our care experienced young people and I encourage anyone inspired by Katie and James’s story to come forward. You have the ability to change someone’s life.”
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