Somewhere to call home – could you be the change in a young person’s life?
Could you make a real and lasting difference to the life of a young person?
The Northern Health and Social Care Trust is now looking for new supported lodgings/STAY (Supported Transition and Accommodation for Young people) hosts who can open their home to offer a safe and secure environment for young people aged between 16 and 21. The programme aims to offer them the support they need to develop their life skills ahead of a successful transition to independence and adulthood.
Robert Fulton, a STAY and Community Living Senior Practitioner with the Northern Trust, has seen at first hand the benefit of the scheme: “STAY acts as a stepping stone for these young people because they don’t quite have the independent skills they need to live on their own as yet.
“Our hosts are people who have life experience and can offer that to a young person for up two years as they prepare for fully independent living.
“The young people we work with often have limited family support for a variety of reasons but they all deserve an opportunity. We know there are people within our local communities who can give that to them and we really want to hear from them.”
Reflecting on his role as a host, Dave Adams said: “We had a spare bedroom and we thought how could we put it to good use? We looked at different programmes and when we saw supported lodgings / STAY we thought that it was something that could work for us. It allowed us flexibility as it was going to be a young person who wasn’t going to be dependent on us full-time and it allowed us to continue with our jobs”, he said.
For Eve, the young person who lives at home with the Adams family, the experience has allowed her to develop her skills, and so much more:
She said: “I’ve been able to open up and be around people who actually want to care and support me. The hosts have gave me a good loving home, and fun and laughter. They are genuine, lovely people who care.”
Dave, who says it has been incredibly rewarding to watch Eve’s progress, echoes this sense of achievement: “The journey that we have been on with Eve over the past two years has been great to see. From the start when we would have provided quite a bit of support to now, with the training wheels off. She has found her own independence,” he said.
Supported lodgings hosts receive a weekly payment to contribute towards rent, food and utilities, alongside ongoing training to help develop their understanding of the needs of young people who have lived in care or young refugees.
They also benefit from ongoing responsive and flexible support, including regular visits and telephone contact, while the young person will also receive wrap-around support from a multi-professional team.
If you’re interested in finding out more about the role of a host, go to https://adoptionandfostercare.hscni.net/foster-care/about-supported-lodgings/
You can ring 0800 0720 137 to speak with a member of staff or email hello@adoptionandfostercare.hscni.net
4th September 2025
