• Are you experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless? Are you looking for a supportive place to live and work?
  • Are you a referral agency, friend or family member and know someone who needs a home?

Based in Bedfordshire and on the border of Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire, Emmaus Village Carlton is a charity which offers a safe and supportive community environment for 42 people we refer to as companions.

Each companion is given their own room (see the accommodation video tour below), clothing, food and drink, as well as a small weekly allowance. We ask that each companion contributes five days a week to help run our on-site charity shops and bistro. It is through this work that we earn money to run the community.

Support and training

Each companion will have regular personal development plan meetings (PDPs) with a dedicated Support Worker. These meetings look at what is going well for the individual, their goals and aspirations and also any support services they may need. Our Support Workers help individual companions to access services including drug and alcohol support, and mental health services.

Companions are able to register for a variety of training opportunities offered on site, including ‘on the job’ training such as PAT Testing, Forklift Licence, First Aid and a variety of NVQs. They are also able to participate in a range of health and wellbeing training courses. Other on-site support includes our dentist and counselling services.

When a companion is ready to move on, they will be supported by our Progression & Move On Worker who can help with CV writing, job searches and finding future accommodation.

Joining the community

Click to view a checklist for potential companions: what we offer and what we expect

There is no maximum limit to a companion’s stay, as long as they continue to contribute and Emmaus can continue to support them. Each companion agrees to the following:

  • To take a Covid 19 lateral flow test when they first arrive as a new companion, and again after 72 hours.
  • Not to bring alcohol or illegal drugs onto the site.
  • To sign off all benefits, with the exception of housing benefit.
  • To behave respectfully to one another.

How to apply

If you would like to discuss anything about joining our community, please call our Support Office on 01234 720826 or email: [email protected]

Click to download a Referral Form to start an application to join Emmaus Village Carlton.

When we receive a Referral Form, a member of the Support Team will call to complete a Risk and Needs Assessment. References are then sought if we think the applicant may be suitable to join our community. We’ll then invite the individual for a trial day, which includes a tour by a companion guide and a chance to meet our Support Team. This gives each person the chance to see if Emmaus is somewhere they wish to live and gives us a chance to get to know them. The outcome is then usually given 24 hours after the trial day. Decisions on who is invited to join the community are based on whether Emmaus Village Carlton can meet their needs and offer appropriate support, as well as provide a safe environment for the applicant, community and others.

If you require emergency support:

If you see someone in urgent need of medical attention, please call 111 or 999.

If you see someone sleeping rough:

Send an alert to StreetLink, which will enable local services to go out and make contact with the individual to connect them with the support and accommodation that is available.

You can do this on the website: www.streetlink.org.uk, by using the mobile phone app, or by calling 0300 500 0914. The alert is sent to the correct local outreach teams in England so that they can find the individual and connect them to support services. The person making the referral should receive feedback. 13,000 people were connected to support in this way during 2020.

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