Someone you are responsible for, or wish to help, is in need of support. They may be struggling with mental health, have fallen on hard times or are a victim of abuse, and they are either currently, or soon to be homeless. We are there for them, to offer a roof over their heads and a helping hand to provide them with the foundations of a brighter, more independent, future.
Basic qualification criteria
If the individual you wish to refer is over 18 years old, single, has valid ID, requires no more than a medium level of support, is in receipt of benefits and, most importantly is either homeless or soon to be homeless, they qualify as a referral.
Referral form
To refer them you will need to complete our referral form. Please provide as much information as you can as this will help us to determine whether and how we may be able to help. Our Referrals and Assessment team will review the form within 72 hours of submission.
Assessment
If accepted at this stage, the referee may be invited (along with someone they trust – their keyworker or a registered interpreter) for a friendly face-to-face chat with one of our team.
Waiting list
Once qualification has been approved, we will get the wheels in motion to find the right accommodation for your referee. If a match cannot be immediately determined – as we go to great lengths to ensure that people are placed in properties and with housemates that will best suit them – they will be placed on a waiting list until the criteria for a match can be met.
Kickstart Homes have a number of properties across London – all spacious, modern, family homes with friendly housemates for our new resident to settle in with, chosen to best suit them and their needs.
Bedrooms are private and living spaces are communal, and we go to great lengths to ensure that all safeguarding and risk assessments are completed, and carefully monitored on an ongoing basis. We know that a comfortable, safe environment is fundamental, as many of our residents have experienced trauma in their lives and some may not have lived with others before, but we see this as their first step towards independence, whatever their definition of this may be.
Every resident is allocated their own Support Coordinator who is tasked with developing and delivering a personalised support plan tailored to their individual needs.
This plan will guide us in our work, but it will also be regularly revisited to determine whether amendments are required due to a resident’s progress or changing needs and aspirations. Each resident’s tailored support plan will be discussed internally and with the resident themselves to ensure that they appreciate they are being listened to and are aware of their own role in the roadmap to change in their life.
Not every resident is ready for that move, but for those who do want this and are ready, we offer help in line with the tailored support plan we have drawn up for them. Our ultimate goal is to empower them with the confidence and knowledge to find their own way in the world, to put them on the path to independence.
To these ends and to ensure that they are safe, secure and happy in our supported accommodation, we spend 8 hours a week on every resident. This includes daily communication, welfare checks, administrative work (such as setting up a bank account, registering them with a local surgery and enrolling them on training courses), and social work (such as showing them how to pay bills, connect with local mental health services and prepare for job interviews). We spend time with them individually, in person, and as a household each week to identify and resolve any issues to ensure that each residence offers the right environment for all of its residents.
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