At Suffolk County Council we have been working closely with local charity The Benjamin Foundation to find Hosts for Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking children (UASC) aged 16-18. The Benjamin Foundation works across Norfolk and Suffolk to ensure young people, who may not have had the best start in life, have a safe home and support as they take their next steps to independence. The foundation supports over 3000 children, young people, and families each year, and is a proud member charity of the End Youth Homelessness campaign.
Hosts offer a bedroom, support, and understanding to young people, who are often aged between 16 and 18 but may be older, to provide them with stability and a safe place to live. Many young people benefit far more from a home-like environment and the support of a family or individual than from a more formal environment, such as a hostel. With an increase in the need for safe homes for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children in Suffolk, we are reaching out to people in the county to become Hosts.
Janet* became a Host with The Benjamin Foundation in July 2020, and I have invited her to talk about her experience.
What made you decide to become a host?
I’m a further education teacher and I work with a lot of vulnerable young people. Sadly, I’ve seen the effects an unstable or difficult home life can have on their self-esteem, confidence, and ability to engage with work, education, and friendships. Becoming a Host with The Benjamin Foundation seemed a natural choice. I wanted to give young people a chance.
Do you receive training to become a host?
I receive great ongoing support from my case worker, Sam. She’s lovely and friendly and reassuring and calls me every week.
Before I joined, I received comprehensive training about safeguarding, boundaries, and all sort of issues that might come up. Sam was very reassuring and reminded me they’re not looking for domestic goddesses but people who have big hearts and are willing and able to open their lives up and show care and concern for another human being. Which was a doddle to me!
What has your experience of hosting UASC children been like?
It’s been fantastic! I am so enthusiastic about the experience. Jihan* is a young Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Child and there are challenges, mostly revolving around language barriers (but also a little about trust at the beginning). She is at college, and I am teaching so we see each other some days and most evenings. It works because we’re not in each other’s faces, but we enjoy each other’s company.
For me, the most rewarding part is seeing another human flourish and gain confidence, self-esteem, and happiness and knowing that you’ve played a tiny part in helping them to see their potential and be happy. Also winning (occasionally) in our furiously contested games of ‘Dobble’.
What qualities do you think someone needs to become a host?
In my opinion, the qualities needed to make a great host are being kind, fair, straightforward, and honest. Above all a genuine interest in young people and a desire to help them succeed.
What would you say to someone thinking about becoming a host?
It is a wonderful, life-changing experience. It’s great fun and has opened my mind to the pressures facing young people. It’s a privilege to be able to be involved in helping someone who’s not had the easiest of starts in life and helping them to be the best expression of themselves possible. I LOVE doing it. You’ll get wonderful support from the fabulous, kind, caring team at The Benjamin Foundation. I was a bit apprehensive initially and worried about all sorts of things that have never materialised. Hosting a young person has enriched my life with love, fun, laughter, and knowledge of different food, music, dances, games, cultures, etc. I would not swap this for the world!
Could you become a Heart and Home Host?
Contact The Benjamin Foundation today at 01603 886930 or email heartandhome@benjaminfoundation.co.uk
*Names have been changed.
Thank you to Janet for sharing her story.
