Supported Lodgings Awareness Week

Launch Pad is designed to provide supportive homes for 16-17-year-old young people, either in care or care leavers, that help bridge the gap between adolescence and adulthood.

Launch Pad hosts offer a nurturing environment in which young people can develop essential life skills whilst attending full time work, training or education. Due to this, it can be a suitable option for those people looking to offer a listening ear but don't have the time to commit to full-time fostering.

Brian and Steven, had this to say about why they opted to become Supported Lodgings Hosts:

A lot of people don't want to care for teenagers, but I think they often need the most support. We both liked that young people would be living with us in a way which felt more like a family to them, and that they would have the flexibility and the freedom that they needed too.

Across the week, we've been sharing a whole host of resources on our Facebook page. Hear directly from hosts in this short video as they share their experiences, motivations and what it means to open their home to a young person.

Just last week, MPs highlighted and advocated for the transformative nature of Supported Lodgings in Parliament, praising it as a family-based, high-quality option for young people seeking to develop their independence.

Could you offer a home to a young person as they prepare for adulthood?

Find out more by visiting our Launch Pad page or contacting launchpad@gloucestershire.gov.uk.