Host Family

Rochdale Source: WhatJobs

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Help us provide a home away from home for our Academy Scholars

Rochdale AFC Academy is looking to recruit caring, supportive and welcoming host familiesto provide accommodation for Academy Scholars aged 16–18 who are required to live away from their family home while undertaking their football scholarship with Rochdale AFC.

Becoming a professional footballer is an exciting opportunity, but moving away from home at a young age can also be a significant change.

Our Host Families play an important part in a scholar's development by providing a safe, stable and welcoming home environment away from football.

We are therefore looking for individuals, couples and families who can provide more than simply a room. We want our scholars to feel comfortable, supported and included within the household throughout their time with Rochdale AFC.

What does being a Host Family involve?

As a Rochdale AFC Academy Host Family, you would provide a scholar with a safe and comfortable place to live during their scholarship.

Host Families will be expected to:

Provide the scholar with their own suitable bedroom, including appropriate storage and study space.
Provide a safe, clean, welcoming and supportive home environment.
Provide appropriate and nutritious meals, taking account of guidance provided by the Academy where required.
Include the scholar within normal family and household life where appropriate.
Help scholars develop the independent living skills they will need as young adults, including cooking, cleaning, laundry and personal organisation.
Understand and accommodate the demands of an Academy football programme, which can include training, education, matches, travel and changing schedules.
Maintain appropriate communication with Rochdale AFC Academy.
Support appropriate household rules, routines and boundaries.
Raise any concerns regarding a scholar's welfare, behaviour or wellbeing promptly with the Academy.
Allow appropriate welfare visits and accommodation checks to be undertaken by authorised Academy staff.
Work in accordance with Rochdale AFC's safeguarding policies and procedures.

The safety and wellbeing of our Academy players is our highest priority.

All prospective Host Families will therefore undertake a suitability and safeguarding process before a scholar can be placed within their home.

This is expected to include an application and interview, references, a home visit and accommodation assessment, appropriate safeguarding checks, and DBS checks where required.

The Academy may also undertake ongoing welfare and accommodation visits while a scholar is living with a Host Family.

Host Families will receive clear guidance regarding who to contact should they have any safeguarding or welfare concerns.

Support from Rochdale AFC Academy

Host Families are an important part of our Academy support network and will not be expected to manage the responsibility alone.

Families will have regular contact with appropriate members of the Academy team and will be provided with guidance and support throughout a placement.

The Academy will maintain regular communication with both the scholar and Host Family to help ensure that the placement remains positive for everyone involved.

Approved Host Families will receive an agreed payment from Rochdale AFC for providing accommodation to an Academy Scholar.

Full details regarding payments, what the payment covers and the arrangements during periods when a scholar returns home will be discussed with successful applicants before any placement begins.

Who are we looking for?

You do not need previous experience of hosting a footballer.

We are interested in hearing from people who can demonstrate that they can provide a positive and supportive environment for a young person.

Ideally, Host Families will:

Have experience of supporting young people, whether through family life, employment, education, sport, fostering, volunteering or another appropriate environment.
Be approachable, patient and able to communicate effectively with young people.
Understand that Academy football can bring both exciting opportunities and challenges for young players.
Have a child-centred approach and an understanding of the importance of safeguarding and wellbeing.
Be able to provide appropriate boundaries while helping a young person develop greater independence.
Be able to accommodate the changing demands of a football season.
Live within reasonable travelling distance of Rochdale AFC's Academy training programme and have suitable access to transport links.
Be willing to complete the Club's Host Family induction and any appropriate safeguarding or other training.
Applications from households able to accommodate more than one scholar are also welcomed.