Refer a Young Person
Refer a Young Person
Charis MC accepts referrals for young people in need of supported accommodation and transitional care. We primarily receive referrals from Local Authorities and related agencies. Below is our referral process and how to get in touch with our admissions team.
Current Vacancies and Immediate Availability
Available Placements Across Our Service Network
We maintain real-time vacancy information across our service network, updated daily to reflect current availability. Our admissions team can provide immediate information about suitable vacancies and anticipated availability for planned moves.
Maidenhead
Semi-Independent Living with Enhanced Support
This established service provides semi-independent accommodation for up to 4 young people aged 16-25 requiring medium to high support levels. Located in a residential area with excellent transport links, the property offers an ideal stepping stone between care and independence.
Current Availability: There are no available vacancies at this time.
Support Level: Enhanced to Intensive (15-35 hours per week)
Suitable For: Young people ready to practice independence with consistent support
Special Features:
- Large communal areas promoting peer support
- Established positive peer group
- Strong links with local college and employers
- On-site life skills training kitchen
- Therapeutic garden space
Ashford - Surrey
Semi-Independent Living with Enhanced Support
This service offers semi-independent accommodation for up to five young people aged 16 to 25, who require medium to high levels of support. Situated in a residential neighborhood with excellent transport options, it serves as an ideal transitional step from care to independence.
Current Availability: Two vacancies are available immediately.
Support Level: Increased to Intensive (15-35 hours weekly).
Ideal For: Young individuals prepared to develop independence with dependable support.
Key Features:
• Spacious communal areas fostering peer connections
• A well-established positive peer environment
• Strong partnerships with local colleges and employers
• An on-site life skills training kitchen
• A therapeutic garden for relaxation and development.
Young People and Care Leavers Referrals
Person-Centred Support for Ages 16-25
Finding the right supported accommodation for a young person takes more than matching needs to services. It requires understanding their story, recognizing their strengths, and ensuring the environment supports their journey toward independence. We’ve designed our referral process to be responsive and transparent while carefully considering whether we can genuinely meet each young person’s needs.
Seeing the Young Person Behind the Referral
Every young person brings unique experiences, capabilities, and aspirations. When you refer someone to us, we’re not simply checking availability – we’re thoughtfully evaluating whether our environment, team, and approach align with what this particular young person needs to thrive.
We won’t accept a placement unless we’re confident we can provide meaningful support. Honest conversations about fit serve everyone better than placements that won’t work.
Young people we support
We work with young people aged 16-25 who need supported accommodation or step-down semi-independent living. Our experience includes supporting young people facing circumstances that make finding appropriate placements more complex.
We partner with young people who:
- → Are leaving care and developing independent living skills in supported accommodation
- → Are transitioning from residential care or foster placements
- → Have experienced mental health challenges and benefit from stable, supportive environments
- → Have mild learning disabilities and thrive with structured support
- → Have experienced trauma, exploitation, or significant life challenges
- → Are building practical life skills while living in supported accommodation
- → Are ready for step-down semi-independent living with gradually reducing support
If you’re uncertain about fit, please reach out. Early, honest conversations serve young people better than referrals that won’t align with what they need.
Our referral process
Begin with conversation
Before paperwork, call or email for informal discussion. Share the young person’s situation, needs, and hopes. We’ll provide honest feedback about whether we can help.
During this conversation, we’ll explore support levels, service options, and timescales. If concerns arise, we’ll raise them immediately rather than after you’ve invested time in documentation.
For urgent placements: Call 07916 629833 anytime, including outside office hours. We can make swift decisions when young people need immediate safety while ensuring appropriate support capabilities.
Share essential information
If initial discussion suggests potential fit, we’ll request information about the young person. We’ve minimized documentation requirements because extensive paperwork delays placements.
Required information:
- • Our referral form (we’ll provide this)
- • Current risk assessment explaining safety considerations
- • Care plan or pathway plan showing support needs and goals
- • Health needs information and medication details
- • Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP) if applicable
- • Recent psychological assessments when available
In emergencies: Send what you have. We can proceed with essential information, with remaining documentation following when possible.
We assess compatibility
Upon receiving your referral, our team carefully reviews fit. We’re evaluating whether we can genuinely support this young person well, not just checking bed availability.
Our considerations include:
- • Whether the young person would feel comfortable in our environment
- • Compatibility with current residents
- • Our staff team’s skills and experience match
- • Physical space suitability for any mobility or sensory needs
- • Access to required external services (schools, health services)
- • Alignment between our approach and what would help them most
For young people with particularly complex needs, we may convene senior team members and specialist consultants to ensure thorough consideration.
Our commitment: 48-hour response for standard referrals, same-day for urgent situations. If we can’t support the young person, we’ll explain why clearly and suggest alternatives when possible.
Plan transition collaboratively
When we can support the young person, we’ll arrange a planning meeting with you and other key individuals. This ensures shared understanding of needs and collaborative approach.
Discussion topics:
- • Move-in timing and approach – planned transition or immediate if needed
- • Support during crucial initial days
- • Key support worker assignment
- • Communication and review arrangements
- • Maintaining connections with important people
- • Education or employment continuity plans
- • Risk management and crisis protocols
The young person’s voice: Where possible, we involve young people in planning. When they prefer not to attend meetings, we ensure their views are represented through advocacy, written input, or methods that work for them.
Support move-in
Moving into supported accommodation can feel overwhelming. For planned moves, we create gradual transitions building familiarity before move-in day.
Planned transitions typically include:
- • Initial visit to see potential room and meet staff
- • Extended visit including meal with other residents
- • Overnight stay experiencing the service
- • Move-in with welcome pack and complete orientation
- • 72-hour check-in ensuring everything’s okay
Emergency placements: When immediate placement is necessary, we adapt our approach. While we can’t provide gradual build-up, we ensure warm welcome and enhanced support during initial adjustment days.
Maintain ongoing partnership
Our partnership continues throughout placement. We keep you informed, involve you in reviews, and communicate immediately about significant developments.
Communication includes:
- • Weekly updates during first month or challenging periods
- • Monthly progress reports showing goal advancement
- • Quarterly formal reviews with all stakeholders
- • Immediate notification of significant incidents
- • Annual comprehensive progress and future planning reviews
We encourage regular visits and maintain open communication for questions or concerns. Our transparent approach ensures oversight while allowing flexibility to respond to changing needs.
Get in Touch
Whether you have a specific young person in mind or want general service discussion, we’re here to help. Start with informal conversation – early dialogue serves everyone better than referrals that won’t align.
Visit our supported accommodation
We welcome social workers, leaving care teams, and housing professionals to visit our properties. Seeing where a young person might live helps you explain placement concretely and provides reassurance about environment quality.
We’re happy arranging visits at times convenient for you. Contact us to schedule.
Response time: Within 48 hours for standard enquiries, same day for urgent placements
Partnership for young people’s futures
We understand pressure to find suitable supported accommodation quickly, especially when current placements break down or young people face homelessness risk.
Our referral process minimizes delays without compromising careful matching. We respond quickly but won’t rush inappropriate placements. Early concern-raising allows you to explore alternatives without wasting time.
When we accept a young person, you can trust careful consideration of support approaches. When we decline, we’ll explain honestly and suggest alternatives when possible.
We’re not just providing supported accommodation – we’re partnering to help young people build independence skills and confidence. That partnership begins with first contact and continues throughout their time with us.