Payments received directly from Homestays may be taken into consideration when calculating some benefits, but only if the young person is over 18 otherwise the payment will not be counted as income for benefit purposes. However a young person's contribution will always be taken into account if it exceeds £20 per week. The current personal contribution is £20 per week. You must ensure that all income you receive is declared to the relevant agency when applying for benefit. If you require further information please contact your local benefit agency.
This is difficult to forecast, as all young people have varying needs, some requiring only short term support whilst others may have longer support needs.
Yes, at times we may not have a placement that is suitable to the young person's requirements, and they are then placed on the waiting list until appropriate accommodation is made available.
You must inform Homestays if you are planning to go away, even if it is only overnight - this will enable us to consider if we can make alternative, appropriate arrangements.
Although the young person is expected to be occupied during the working week, there will be times when this is not the case, eg during the school holidays or when waiting to commence training. The young person has the right to access their own room at all times.
It may be important to note that full time courses are not necessarily Monday to Friday, eight hours per day. There may be significant periods of time when the young person is not required to be in college or placement.
Homestays should always be the initial point of contact unless otherwise instructed. Each young person may be involved with several agencies therefore it is essential that the right person is contacted to prevent the placement being affected.