What is a Foyer?
What is a Foyer?
Foyers provide secure, supported housing and learning opportunities to young people aged 16-25 who have experienced homelessness.
Foyers are communal supported housing for young people who have experienced homelessness. They are great places to learn and safe places to live with transformative opportunities that develop agency and purpose.
Foyers are high-quality alternatives to hostels, integrating housing, education, employability training and personal development for young people. Foyer residents are offered opportunities that give them access to learning, prepare them to work, improve their health and wellbeing and develop their leadership potential. Learn about the theory behind the approach.
What makes a Foyer different?
Traditional hostels provide basic housing and support, and can tend towards deficit-based practices.
As well as safe, high-quality accommodation, Foyers focus on embedding an Advantaged Thinking culture and providing a holistic development offer for young people.
Finding that difficult to picture? Here are some practical comparisons that might help.
| The principles of standard ‘housing and support’ | The principles of a Foyer | |
| Involvement | Informs and consults with young people | Shares and builds power with young people |
| Records the opinions of young people | Amplifies the voices and achievements of young people | |
| Culture | A contract management culture | A culture of trust and co-operation |
| Transactions and targets matter most | People and relationships matter most | |
| Staff | Staff are focussed on doing their job | Staff are focussed on positive change for young people |
| Staff keep their head down | Staff go the extra mile and inspire young people | |
| Staff in senior positions who manage tasks | Staff in senior positions who lead people | |
| Offer | ‘A roof over your head’ | A home and thriving community |
| Provides a housing and support pathway | Provides a holistic housing, learning and development offer | |
| A focus on moving on | A focus on living a purposeful life | |
| Approach | Solving problems for young people | Building resilience and character with young people |
| Focus is on risk and need | Focus is on development and growth | |
| Managing young people’s expectations | Growing young people’s aspirations | |
| Keeps everything ‘inhouse’ | Joins forces with others and collaborates for the best outcome | |
| Processes | Keeps detailed records of support given | Keeps detailed records of the impact on people’s lives |
| Deficit based policies and procedures | Asset based policies and procedures | |
| Building | Provide the basic requirements of a RSL | Provides communal space for creativity and interaction |
| Space is designed for minimum costs | Space is designed for young people |
Find your local Foyer
Our Foyers
Find the location and contact details of our Foyers in the UK and Ireland
