Supported and Sheltered Housing

The primary purpose of supported housing is to develop and sustain a person's capacity to live independently. 

Supported housing support services can include helping people 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 home visits or full time support workers. 

A range of services and activities can be tailored to an individual's specific needs. 

Supported housing is accommodation provided for individuals who also need a low level of support so that they can continue to live independently. 

The most common form of supported housing is sheltered housing where 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 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 are either short term or long term, depending on 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 continuous or 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 the Council. Information on how to access Supported Housing can be obtained from Wirral's Supporting People Team using the contact details on the right.