For Referrers
We are open to new referrals - including referrals to our exciting new Honeypot House in Scotland!
Any professional working with a young carer is able to make a referral to Honeypot. If you are the parent or guardian of a young carer please speak with a professional who knows your child, ask them to review our eligibility criteria and if appropriate, make a referral on your child’s behalf.
You’ll find some information and FAQs below relating to referring children to Honeypot, as well as links to our eligibility criteria and referral forms. If you don’t find what you need here and would like to discuss a potential referral further, please contact one of our house teams and we will be happy to help.
Honeypot House in Pen y Bryn, covering Wales, the West Midlands and the North West. Tel: 01686 622773. wales@honeypot.org.uk
Honeypot House Hampshire, covering London and the Home Counties.
Tel: 02380 890002. hampshire@honeypot.org.uk
Honeypot House Scotland, covering southern Scotland and the Borders.
email: scotland@honeypot.org.uk
Our Catchment areas
How to refer a child to Honeypot
Before making a referral please carefully review our eligibility criteria to ensure the child you’re thinking of referring is compatible with our service. Please also check that they live within the catchment area of one of our houses. If in doubt please contact us before completing a referral - we will be happy to advise.
When completing a referral form please take care to provide a clear and accurate description of the child and their home situation. This forms the basis of our onboarding process and is the foundation for our relationship with that child and family - the better we understand them, the better we can serve them and all the other children we support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I need to do anything further after making my referral?
We may need to contact you to discuss the referral if we feel that we have insufficient information to make an informed decision. In cases where there is identified anxiety within the family, we may ask you to join the ”getting to know each other” meeting if it is felt this would be beneficial for the child or parent.
What happens when you receive my referral?
A Honeypot Children’s Services Leader (CSL) will review the information submitted in the referral and may contact you if there is anything more they wish to know, or if there are points which they’d like to better understand before taking the referral further.
If you have referred a group of children our CSL will work with you to arrange a group onboarding meeting, usually conducted via Zoom. If the referral is for a single child (or sibling group) our CSL will make contact with the parent/guardian and schedule an online onboarding call. In either case the conversation will help the parent/guardian and child understand what Honeypot can offer, what to expect and what we ask of them. It will also seek to ensure that our services are appropriate for, and likely to benefit, the child, and that the child’s needs and behaviour are compatible with the nature of our service and the experience we seek to provide for all children who stay with us.
What happens if a referral is declined?
Our Children’s Services Leader will review any referral which they feel may not be suitable for progression with our Operations Manager. If it is determined to be inappropriate to offer a Honeypot place to a referred child, you as the referrer will be informed of the reason and will be asked to convey that outcome to the child’s parent or guardian. The large majority of referrals are accepted; the most common reasons for a referral being declined are geography (the child is beyond the reach of our houses), and behaviour (the child exhibits behaviour likely to negatively impact on the experiences of other children staying with us and/or likely to put their own safety at risk).
Can I refer sibling groups?
Yes, sibling referrals are welcome providing each child meets our eligibility criteria.
Do you take group referrals from Young Carer’s Groups?
Group referrals are welcomed from young carers organisations and schools. Please contact us at info@honeypot.org.uk to discuss before submitting multiple referrals.
When are Honeypot respite breaks held?
Breaks are held each weekend and during school holidays throughout the year, at each of our houses.
Will I need to provide transport to Honeypot breaks for the children I refer?
Honeypot minibuses collect and return children from a pre-arranged central pick-up point in their home area. Where parents are unable to, you may be asked to assist with transporting the child(ren) to and from the pick-up point, if this will considerably reduce the time that the children spend on our minibus. The minibus is driven by an experienced MiDAS trained driver and accompanied by a chaperone to ensure the children’s safety and comfort during the journey.
Can I book specific dates for the children I have referred to attend a break?
To meet the needs of the 1,500+ Honeypot children registered with us, breaks are allocated well in advance in accordance with group make-up, geographical area and travel arrangements. Apart from pre-arranged group bookings, this makes it impracticable to book children in for specific breaks.
Can a child attend more than one respite break?
To allow us to provide breaks to all children registered with us, we can only offer one break each year for children aged 5-12 years. There is no need to submit subsequent referrals as repeat annual breaks are offered routinely (depending upon the previous break report and suitability) once children are registered with us.
Can I get feedback on how a break went?
We do not routinely provide feedback to referrers following a break, but you are welcome to call us for information if required.
how else does honeypot support young carers?
As well as respite breaks, Honeypot children have unlimited access to online after school, weekend and holiday time workshops - we’ll have a go at anything from baking to arts and crafts, fitness to quizzes, murder mysteries to fun science! We also offer memory making days out to groups of Honeypot children throughout the year, access to our Wellbeing Fund, a birthday card, a Christmas gift, and our new i-care pastoral support for those who need it.
