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Make a difference

Become A Host

The heartbeat of ‘Room to spare’ is a network of host individuals, couples and families who are willing to open their home to a young person. The commitment required by a host is not insignificant and we take time to ensure that it is the right decision for you, your family and the young people that you may support. An overview of the application process can be found below.

Application process

The process of becoming a host is thorough as we look to make sure that supported lodgings is a good ‘fit’ for you and your family and that you feel properly supported to undertake the role. The application process involves a number of steps (outlined on the right) and usually takes 3 to 6 months. A full explanation of each step can be found in our ‘Information for hosts’ brochure which you can download at the bottom of this page. To apply to become a Concrete Rose host please download our application form by clicking the button below.

Application form

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Below are some FAQs about the role and responsibilities of a supported lodgings host. There is a lot more information, and a lot more FAQs, in our host brochure which you can download at the bottom of this page.

Anyone can apply to become a host and we encourage a diverse range of individuals, couples and families reflecting the diversity of the young people we support. Hosts should reside in the property full-time and need to be able to provide a bedroom, a safe environment, love, tolerance, support and guidance to a young person.

You don’t necessarily need to own your own home to become a host. However, we will need to obtain written consent from your landlord stating that they are happy for you to provide supported lodgings at the property. The landlord must also confirm that they hold current building insurance on the property and that they have informed their insurer that the property will be used for supported lodgings.

Yes, in fact we would encourage you to continue to go about your usual routines including working, hobbies, holidays, weekends away etc.

Our pairing process is rigorous as we want to give every placement the best opportunity to succeed. As a part of this process we take into account your personal and family dynamics including your thoughts as to the type of young person who will fit best into your home. Before any pairing process begins you will be given a full profile of the proposed young person to confirm you are happy to proceed. You will also get to meet the young person with both parties needing to agree for a placement to commence.

We welcome applications from host families where there are children at home. As part of the application process we will work with you to ensure that becoming a host is a good fit for all your family. We will also take this into account when we consider a suitable young person to live in your home. All family members over the age of 16 will be asked to complete an enhanced DBS check.

The idea of supported lodgings is to prepare young people for independent living. Therefore, the young person will probably need a little support and guidance in developing the necessary skills including washing, cooking, managing finances etc. However, each young person is also supported by a youth worker who will particularly help them in the fields of education and work. The Concrete Rose core team will help a young person, where relevant, set-up benefits and, if desired, each young person can access additional adult mentoring through our ‘adults who care’ scheme.

Concrete Rose offers on-call, 24/7 support to host families from a core team who are

specialists in behaviour management, de-escalation and mediation. Our preference is to avoid issues before they become serious problems and therefore we will check-in with you on a weekly basis to see how things are going and also hold regular review meetings with hosts and young people. In these meeting we will help you to mediate any problems and resolve any issues.

Sometimes a young person just needs somewhere safe to stay for a few weeks, but normally placements last around 18 months whilst some last several years. As part of the application and assessment process we will ask you if you would consider offering emergency ‘short-term’ placements for young people which generally last less than two weeks.

More information

If you would like more information on becoming a host please contact us using the contact form below and we can answer any questions you may have and guide you through the process.

Concrete Rose is committed to compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018. The information that you provide on this form will be used to process your enquiry. (For more details on how we use your data please see our Privacy Notice and Data Protection Policy.) *

Host guide

If you are interested in becoming a host there is lots more information – including an overview of the application process and a number of FAQs – in our host guide which can be found here.

Download our host guide