Housing
Supported and sheltered housing
Supported and sheltered housing - information and advice
Welcome To Wirral
Supported and shelted housing - information and advice
The primary purpose of supported housing is to develop and sustain a person's capacity to live independently in their accommodation. Some examples of supported housing related support services include, enabling individuals to access their correct benefit entitlement, ensuring they have the correct skills to maintain a tenancy, advising on home improvements and accessing a community service alarm. Other services include a home visit for a short period each week or an on-site full time support worker for a long period of time.
A range of services and activities can be tailored to an individual's specific needs.
Supported housing refers to accommodation provided for individuals who also need a low level support service to enable them to continue to live independently. The most common form of supported housing is sheltered housing whereby flats or bungalows are allocated to older people and a warden is provided on site to give assistance and reassurance to service users. Supported housing is, however, also provided for many other vulnerable client groups - those with physical disabilities, mental health issues, learning difficulties etc. In addition, support services may be "floating", i.e. they are not provided to residents of a housing scheme, but anyone who needs that service, regardless of where they live.
Support services can be categorised as 'short term' or 'long term' in accordance with their aims and objectives. Short term schemes last up to two years with the intention of moving a person on to independent living or increasing the ability to live independently. Long term services are on a continuous basis i.e. open-ended.
All short-term supported housing services are free. Charges are only applicable to people in long term services who can afford to pay, following an assessment of their financial circumstances. Those who can not afford to pay are eligible to claim a subsidy from their local authority.
Information on how to access Supported Housing can be obtained from One Stop Shops are alternatively contact the Supporting People Team:
Supporting People Team
Wallasey Town Hall
South Annexe
Brighton Street
Wallasey
CH44 8ED
Tel 0151 691 8285
Fax 0151 691 8667
Email supportingpeople@wirral.gov.uk
For information on how to apply for a Registered Social Landlord sheltered housing property, click here.