Sussex Nightstop is one of over 30 Nightstop services around the UK, accredited by Nightstop UK – one of many services run by the youth homelessness charity Depaul UK.

Our aim is to reach young people at risk of homelessness before they have to sleep rough and are made vulnerable to all of the risks associated with street homelessness.

To do this, we train Volunteer Hosts to safely offer emergency accommodation in their homes for young people referred to and assessed as suitable by Sussex Nightstop (i.e. low risk). Whilst young guests are accessing our service our partner agencies work with them around their wellbeing and long-term housing plan.

Aside from meeting basic needs, our hosts remind people at the most desperate of times that people care - they choose to open their doors, they choose to be there. Confidence and belief are important ingredients in a person’s ability to maintain the good stuff in their life, seize new opportunities and bring about positive change for themselves. Kindness – voluntarily given – is profound in its impact.

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Our service is open to and needed by our young guests seven days a week.

To best support the people who need us we require good consistency of host availability from week to week as well as a good level of cover across the week, including weekends.

The more consecutive nights a young person can stay with the same host the more secure and less anxious they feel and we need hosts that are able to offer that. Ideally this will be four to seven nights but we can work with less.

Becoming a host is a considerable investment for everyone involved. To make this worthwhile and for hosts to have the best experience, we are seeking Volunteer Hosts who anticipate undertaking this role for a minimum of one year.

To provide safe and secure, short-stay accommodation for a young person aged 16-25 years.

To provide a private bedroom for the night with an evening meal, breakfast, washing and laundry facilities, as well as a packed lunch. You may be required to offer a listening ear, or some space for your guest to rest and be alone.

Hosts tell us they enjoy meeting the variety of young people they host and get huge satisfaction from the positive impact their generosity has on young lives.

Other benefits include:

• Involvement in a vital community project that helps to prevent homelessness in our city.
• Access to a comprehensive training program through which you will acquire additional knowledge and skills in areas such as safeguarding, equal opportunities and diversity, communication, behaviour and attachment. With additional opportunities to further your learning in other areas.
• The opportunity to meet a wide and diverse range of people and through this to broaden your life perspective through an increased understanding and knowledge of the issues facing vulnerable people.
• Access to host expenses (including a nightly hosting expense and a contribution to household adjustments relating to the hosting role).
• The chance to be a part of the Sussex Nightstop community with the opportunity to meet and make friends with other like-minded people at our host social events throughout the year.
• The opportunity to develop your volunteering role to other areas of Sussex Nightstop, such as supporting community events, or joining our on-call support team.

Delivering this role requires the following key tasks as well as full participation in the administrative tasks that are necessary for Sussex Nightstop to adhere to Depaul Nightstop UK quality standards.

Each time you host a Nightstop guest you’ll need to:

• Be available to liaise with the Coordinator by phone to agree the practicalities of the hosting arrangement with guests
• Provide a warm welcome
• Prepare an evening meal
• Communicate a time when your guest is expected to leave in the morning
• Provide laundry facilities where possible
• Provide access to washing facilities
• Clean, warm and safe room
• Provide breakfast
• Prepare a packed lunch
• Observe any practical measures that reduce the spreading of coughs, colds and infections (including COVID-19) spreading such as high standards of cleaning, hand-washing and good ventilation appropriate social distancing and hygiene practices to reduce the risk of the transmission of COVID-19 (all detailed in the Safer Hosting Guidance in our handbook, which you’ll receive at training)

You’ll also need to:

• Satisfactorily complete all recruitment activities including Host training
• To meet the requirements of our Health & Safety policy as relates to Host homes including the supply of related documents including gas certificate, home insurance and driver's license (if applicable)
• Attend two-yearly refresher training and other training that from time-to-time may be deemed necessary to the role
• Participate in Host supervisions with a Coordinator
• Be available for a yearly health and safety risk assessment of your home and to supply safety-related documents annually
• Be available for a brief check-in phone call with a Coordinator every morning after a guest has stayed with you
• Present relevant ID and consent to a new DBS check every three years
• Respond to and carry out administrative tasks necessary to the role in a timely way

Due to our beneficiary group our Host volunteers must be over the age of 25 years you should have:

• A good understanding of boundaries and the ability to volunteer within the rules and policies of the scheme
• Ability to be non-judgmental and treat all young guests with sensitivity and respect, whatever their backgrounds, opinions, cultural and ethical beliefs
• Commitment to safeguarding young people and adults and promoting their welfare
• Excellent communication and listening skills and an ability to make topics of discussion understandable to both young people and adults
• Commitment, patience and the ability to engage with a diverse group of people
• No formal qualifications are required but experience with young and/or vulnerable people would be advantageous

Recruitment to this role is subject to the satisfactory completion of all associated recruitment paperwork:

• Volunteer Host application
• Volunteer Host applicant interview
• Volunteer Host home assessment and supply of associated documents
• An Enhanced DBS check (upon application and then carried out every three years as set out in our DBS Policy)
• Two satisfactory references
• Volunteer Host training, which includes
  • Introduction to Sussex Nightstop and homelessness
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Equal Opportunities and Diversity
  • Health & Safety
  • Safeguarding
  • Boundaries and Communication skills
• Independent assessment post training

We place great emphasis on supporting our Hosts and ensuring that Host safety and wellbeing is paramount. Support to volunteers includes:

• Volunteer host training before hosting starts
• Access to 24-hour guidance through the Nightstop staff team and on-call service
• Regular volunteer support and supervision with a Nightstop Coordinator including Volunteer Peer Support groups
• Post hosting check-ins with a Nightstop Coordinator
• Ongoing access to Nightstop Coordinator and staff team on a bespoke basis as needed
• A detailed handbook
• Refresher training