Information for Home Visitors
As one of our Home Visitors, you’re likely to be the first, or only, representative of Refugees at Home that our hosts meet in person. While your main role is to carry out home assessments, prospective hosts will also count on you to answer questions about opening their home.
On this page, you’ll find more information about what to expect. As always, if you have any questions, you can always get in touch with a member of our team.
Our Home Visitors are a vital part of our work, and we’re incredibly grateful for your continued support.
Being a home visitor requires experience with things like safeguarding issues and working within the community, which I have from my job. Our hosts are incredible people, and a lot of them don’t have loads of space in their homes but they’ve made room because it’s something they really want to do. I’m always impressed when I meet them.
Accepting a home visit
As a Home Visitor, you will decide which areas of the UK you are happy to cover. If we get a host application in your area, we might get in touch to see if you’re available. If not, we’ll approach another Home Visitor to see if they can carry out the assessment. If you’re likely to be unable to carry out a home visit for a significant amount of time, please let us know your availability in advance.
Home visits can be held both in person, or virtually.
We’ll share information relating to the host application, including if we’ve previously spoken to the host if you’re happy to accept the visit, we’ll connect you with the host so you can arrange a time and day that’s convenient for both of you.
Before the visit, it’s helpful for you to discuss with the host:
- The importance of making sure everyone in the house is happy with the idea of hosting
- How long the visit will last and what it entails
- Whether they need to prepare anything in advance
During a home visit
Before each visit, our team will send you a guidance document with a list of things we need to know about the host and their home. Please make sure you bring it with you and are familiar with it. Let us know if you don’t have a copy.
Please make sure to keep any forms or notes from your visit safe and secure, as they will contain information sensitive to the host.
Your safety is our priority, and our lone worker policy contains procedures and guidance to be followed during a visit.
While hosts will be keen to know the outcome, please refrain from telling them if you’re likely to recommend them, as satisfactory references are needed before we can make a final decision.
After the home visit
We try to match our guests with a host as quickly as possible, so please complete your assessment from the home visit as soon as you are able. It’s helpful to include as much detail as possible, particularly about any concerns you might have. Please don’t feel uncomfortable doing so, and it’s in the best interest of everyone to have a full picture about a host and their home.
If you have any problems or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a member of the team.
We’ll always let you know whether we approve the host or not. You can choose to be copied into any introductory emails between the host and guest, or whether you’d like to stay in contact with them.
Joining a Hub
Hubs are informal, local groups set up by Refugees at Home that provide a way for home visitors and hosts and to come together, share knowledge and experiences, and support one another.
See if there’s a Hub in your area on our dedicated Hubs page.
