Supported lodgings young people's guide

The shape of each person's daily routines will be different, depending on each person's appointments and circumstances. We ask you to respect this and remember that while you want to play music, your hosts or neighbour may be sleeping.  

The shape of your days and weeks will be discussed with you and your social worker, and we will put a timetable together that we will help you to follow as closely as possible.

In all the activities and interactions of your day, we ask you to follow our charter of principles:

1. Be respectful and kind to yourself
2. Be respectful and kind to others
3. Respect and be kind to the environment
4. Follow your timetable and grasp opportunities
5. Respect the guidance and rules to keep yourself and everyone safe
6. Make yourself at home and enjoy

Expectations and rules

We want to help you and everyone else here feel safe at Gateshead supported lodging service, as everyone should in their own home.

In order to do that we have a few expectations that will help to create a comfortable, healthy and safe environment for you, other community members and visitors.

Bringing friends home

We want you to feel comfortable to invite friends' home to spend some time with you.

Visitors must leave Gateshead supported lodgings service by 11pm at the latest, or in agreement with the host(s). If someone visiting you here behaves in a way that is not in line with our behaviour policy, they will be told to leave and will not be welcome to visit here.

Fire safety

We have a fire alarm system in place with smoke detectors in every room.

Never wedge fire doors open with any item other than the door openers fitted to the bottom of the fire doors. We carry out regular fire alarm system tests but will let you know when these are.

If you hear the alarm go off at any time when you are not expecting it, you should leave the building by the nearest exit and meet at the designated point which is outside the front door. Do not stop to collect belongings, and do not go back into the building until you have been told that it is safe to do so by the fire brigade. 

Tips to minimise the risk of fire:

• Keep the cooker clean when cooking: forgotten food particles on the burner get too hot. Food particles aren't the only thing that could cause this to happen. If you leave a dish towel or cookbook on a burner that you forgot was still hot, they can catch fire. 
• Do not leave the kitchen whilst cooking: a few seconds is all it takes for a fire to break out. This is why you should never leave cooking food unattended. If you must leave the kitchen for any reason, turn off the cooker first. 
• Care when using the tumble dryer: do not forget to clean out the lint trap every time you remove your laundry from the dryer.  Check that no stray items are trapped in there too.
• Check power cords: before you plug something in, make sure that the cord has not been frayed or chewed. If you do notice damaged wires, report to staff as soon as possible because this is a big fire hazard.  Also, check your cord placement. They tend to get hot so you should avoid running them under a rug or between your wall and furniture. 
• Storing flammable products: household cleaners and common cosmetic items like hairspray and shaving cream can be hazardous. If they are exposed to high heat, they can combust. You should not store them over the radiator but store them safely in a cool area.
• No smoking, candles, oil burners or joss sticks allowed in the house.

If you are not sure about anything regarding the risk of fire, please ask your host.

Relationships and bullying

We hope that you will develop friendships with other people here. It's natural that some people would like to spend more time together and share their thoughts and worries with each other. This may be useful at times, but sometimes this can be difficult for young people to manage.

We encourage you to share any information about a young person if you think not sharing might put them at risk.

Bullying is never tolerated and could lead to you being asked to leave Gateshead supported lodgings service. You may not always realise that certain behaviour is bullying, but you must recognise that what is acceptable to one person may not be acceptable to another.

The perceptions of the recipient will determine whether any action or statement may be viewed as bullying.

We have listed just some examples of bullying, although there are many others:

• insulting remarks
• insensitive jokes or pranks
• aggressive behaviour
• ignoring or excluding an individual
• public criticism
• negative comments on social media
• criticising appearance

Alcohol and illegal drugs

Drinking alcohol, taking recreational drugs or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol is not allowed. If you have issues relating to these, we are here to support you without judging you and will use all the resources available to us to help you manage this.

Damage to property

We have a zero-tolerance policy to violence and to destruction of property and/or belongings of other people. We may inform the police and press charges if necessary. If you are violent to others or damage the property of others, you will be asked to leave and to contribute to the cost of a replacement item.

Smoking

Smoking and vaping are not allowed anywhere in the house and is strongly discouraged even outside.

Privacy and dignity

Your own privacy and dignity and those of other people in the house is very important to us all, and so we have a few simple guidelines to help us to maintain this for everyone.

Dignity and respect should be the key ingredient in all our relationships with each other at Gateshead supported lodgings service, and all the staff here will protect your dignity and treat you with respect. If you feel that anyone is not treating you with dignity and respect, you should talk to your host or the manager. If you prefer, you can also speak to your social worker about this.

Internet, mobile phones and laptops

We will make sure you have Wi-fi services available to you. We will ask you sign a contract when you move in, to say you will use the internet, your mobile phone and any other electronic devices safely at Gateshead supported lodgings service.

Improper use may result in you being unable to access the internet or your mobile. If you are unsure of the rules around usage, please ask. No photos are to be taken at Gateshead supported lodgings service of anyone without their permission. No images of other people are to be shared on social media.