The aim of the Lead Tenant Program is to provide a safe, stable, caring and supportive living environment in which young people are able to practise independent living in a shared household, and to assist the young person in transition to an independent living arrangement. A Lead Tenant is a live in volunteer whose primary role is to enable a supportive environment for a household of young people.
Lead Tenant programs assist young people move towards adult independent living. Lead Tenant programs currently operate out of MacKillop Youth Services (Barwon) and MacKillop Youth Services (Metro).
The Lead Tenant households are an important model of service for young people aged 15-18 years who have the ability to adapt to more independent living arrangements, but who require support and encouragement to develop the necessary skills to share accommodation and live successfully in community settings.
The volunteer Lead Tenant(s) live rent-free. They are not paid workers. Their role is primarily to provide general direction, encouragement and support within the household, predominantly by example.
Lead Tenants are expected to demonstrate a positive and balanced lifestyle, to participate equally in domestic chores and duties and to ensure that any conflicts arising within the household are dealt with in a positive and productive manner.
Lead Tenant Houses normally cater for two young people and two Lead Tenants in each house. It is important to note that a Lead Tenant House is not an alternate placement option for a young person when other options have been exhausted. Entry to the Lead Tenant House will be planned rather than crisis driven. The young person's participation in the service is voluntary, with the young person being involved in the planning and decision making process.
The Lead Tenant acts as a positive role model for the young tenants, both in managing their own day to day routines and commitments, and more broadly in their personal conduct within the house and the community. The Lead Tenant leads by example and their lifestyle will approximate standards acceptable to the wider community.
The Lead Tenant is ideally a responsible and supportive young adult rather than an authority figure. By observing and participating in a household that displays healthy and balanced lifestyles and by sharing household tasks and responsibilities, young people can develop an understanding of acceptable parameters of behaviour and standards of living.
It is the task of the Lead Tenant to provide practical assistance and guidance to young people in a non-threatening and supportive way, reinforcing acceptable standards and behaviours through praise and encouragement.
The Lead Tenant position is not a paid position. However, the opportunity to make a contribution to a young person's life and some financial incentives (ie, free rent and utilities) can make the role of Lead Tenant appealing and rewarding.
Households will ideally have two Lead Tenant positions, allowing for each person in the role to be away from the house for social activities and weekends away.
The responsibilities of the Lead Tenant are:
- To be a positive role model to young people living in the house
- To participate in discussions, house meetings and training sessions
- To participate in regular fortnightly supervision with the Case Manager
- To assist and encourage young people to develop household routines and manage their day to day needs
- To liaise with support staff and Case Managers on a regular basis on issues affecting the residents or household
- To contact the On Call worker in the case of emergency or if the household members are at risk to themselves or others (see note on On Call service below, p. 9)
- To act in the best interests of the resident young people at all times
- To maintain the confidentiality of the young people
- To ensure that the policies and procedures of MacKillop Family Services are adhered to as prescribed in orientation and training and in the Operations Manual.
Lead Tenants need to show the following skills:
- Be able to volunteer time and energy to developing an appropriate relationship with young people
- Have humour, patience, consistency and honesty
- Be able to resolve minor in-house disputes
- Basic communication techniques, conducting house meetings and liasing with the Case Manager
- Basic house-keeping
- Have an understanding of the appropriate role of a Lead Tenant.
It is important for the Lead Tenant to understand that they are not the house supervisor and therefore cannot put constraints on the residents. The Lead Tenant therefore needs to avoid
- assuming too much personal authority or playing a parental role
- developing too close a relationship with any one resident
- inhibiting the freedom of choice and the exercise of personal responsibility by the young people
- being judgemental about issues of behaviour and/or lifestyle
- being a "counsellor" or giving unasked for advice
- playing the role of a support worker or Case Manager.
The Lead Tenant is directly accountable to the Case Manager allocated by the Lead Tenant Services, who is in turn accountable to a Team Leader or Program Manager.
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