Supported lodgings young people's guide

Download this guide as a pdf. (PDF, 635 KB)

We are really pleased to welcome you to Gateshead supported lodgings service, for young people aged 16 to 25 who are taking their next steps towards independence. 

Although there will be many things you will have in common with other people here (in the service), there will also be some differences, as people can be coping with a variety of physical, emotional, social, family and other issues. We work hard to create a safe, kind, welcoming, nurturing and peaceful place, where everyone is respected, valued and belongs.

But that doesn't mean it is always quiet. We love laughter, chatting and making life fun and interesting. We also love diversity, we think our differences are fantastic and make us all so interesting, and we hope that you will enjoy sharing that with us too.

You may be with us for just a short period of time, but if that is the case we still want you to feel just as comfortable and at home as others who may be here for a little longer.

We really look forward to getting to know you as part of our community and sharing this part of your journey of life with you.

About us

The managers of the service are called Michelle Sterricker and Justine Anderson.

The rest of our staff team and hosts are also trained and experienced to support you, and are very friendly.

Our commitment to you

First of all, the information in this booklet is important to make sure that you have all the information that you need, or to know where to find it. We will not change anything in this booklet without discussing it with you or your social workers and asking for your input.

We understand that needing to stay in supported lodgings for a time can bring very mixed feelings, and can be both a relief and a worry, especially if you have not lived with another family before.

You may have concerns about the place where you will live, the area your home will be in, and the staff/hosts supporting you to gain the skills you need for independent living. These are all big questions, and we are here to support you with all of that.

It is important that you know that whatever has happened in the past, things can still work out well for your future. Everyone at Gateshead supported lodging service believes that it is never too late to begin to build for a positive future, even if your own family life has had a lot of challenges.

We are committed to helping you to make the most of the support and opportunities offered to you, and to be the best person that you can be, to set goals and make changes that will help you thrive. 

We will offer you support to deal with your worries and if we can't help with a particular issue, we will help you to find someone who can.

Host

You will be living with your host who is also a support worker who can be your first point of contact for any additional support, and you will have one-to-one support from them regularly.

This can include anything that you are concerned about, your own health, education, family, friends, social activities or managing your own home life. They will be involved in helping you set your goals for what you want to be focussed on ready for independence.

Your host will be honest with you about the challenges but also help you to focus on ensuring that things are working well for you.

It is, however, important to remember that whilst these sessions are private, they are not secret, and your worker may want to pass information on to other services. This is to make sure that you are getting the right help and support for your situation.

We will always ask your permission first, unless you are at risk or in danger of harm. When this is the case, we may share the information first and tell you afterwards, if you are not contactable at the time of the concern.

Group workshops

At Gateshead supported lodgings service we run classes at the "Outpost" to help support you to increase your skills and confidence and discover new talents you may never have known you had, including the following:

• staying safe and healthy
• play and keeping active
• routines for wellbeing and sleep
• budgeting
• managing your own home, cooking and healthy eating
• sexual health and contraception

If there is something that you would like to learn or do and it is not on the list, let us know. We are always glad to hear fresh ideas from our new house members and will do our best to help you out.