Community Host Scheme

Who is it for?

We currently operate the Community Host Scheme from our Stockwell site. The scheme works with young people aged 16-17 years who for various reasons cannot live at home with their families, by placing them with carefully selected Community Hosts, where they can be provided with family support, and a room of their own. With the safety and security of a homely setting they can thrive.

The project is funded by Communities and Local Government, Supporting People and partner local authorities. The project originated in Lambeth, and has now been extended to Southwark. In addition, we have host families in neighbouring boroughs to support young people who need to be a little further away from where the scheme is based. This has been negotiated and agreed with our commissioners as an innovative step to supporting young people in a way that best suits their presenting needs. YMCA England facilitates the co-ordination and networking between the Community Host Scheme and other supported lodgings schemes within the YMCA. Supporting People in Lambeth and Southwark, as joint funders of the scheme will undertake a monitoring and evaluation role, considering the work and achievements of the project in relation to the targets set out in Supporting People Performance Indicators and the Quality Assessment Framework.

The project came about in 2007 as a result of YMCA England’s Step-In Project, which aims to improve services, facilities and support offered to young homeless people. The Step-In Project is also expected to provide opportunities for learning about what works in tackling youth homelessness.

The scheme aims to provide supportive accommodation in a homely environment for young people to help them gain the skills required to become independent. It also aims to prevent youth homelessness - and its associated problems - by placing the teenagers with Community Hosts.

Who are Community Hosts?

Our Scheme is currently recruiting Community Hosts who can accommodate a young person. The Community Host can be single, married or unmarried couples, with or without children. Placing a young person with the Community Host is an alternative to supported housing or a hostel placement. The young person may live with a host for up to 2 years. Community hosts will be required to work in partnership with South London YMCA.

SLYMCA recognises that some young people do not do thrive in a hostel setting and that they would do better in a family environment.

Anyone interested in becoming a Community Host needs to have a spare room, an interest and willingness in helping a young person to achieve and lives in the relevant Boroughs.

The aims of the Community Host Scheme are:

• To provide an opportunity and support mechanism to enable a young person to return to their family, where this is possible
• To provide an alternative form of support for young people
• That the scheme reduces the numbers of young people living in temporary accommodation
• The scheme is especially, but not exclusively, for young people from BME backgrounds and to encourage members of the BME community working with young people

Are you interested in becoming a Community Host

We are seeking to recruit responsible adults as Community Hosts in the boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth, Lewisham and Croydon. If you are considering making use of a spare room in your home, have interest and genuine concern for the welfare of young people in your community then please contact us.

• Summary Leaflet
• Handbook
• Community Host Application Form

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