About supported living
Supported living enables people to live independently in the local community – they are able to choose high-quality housing and in most cases choose a support provider or a care organisation for their daily personal care.
Specialised supported living is where housing is adapted to meet a tenant’s needs. We are one of the country’s leading providers of this type of housing.
We offer supported living options such as housing that is rented through an assured shorthold tenancy. This might be a joint or an individual tenancy, in shared or self-contained accommodation. Our tenants have the security of tenure with the same rights and responsibilities as anyone who rents their own home.
As a specialist supported housing provider, we understand that if your family member has support needs because of a learning disability or autism, for example, you want the very best for them, and for them to live independently. Supported living is where your family member lives in their own home, but with the help from a support worker.
This means you and your family member can choose which housing provider you want and you can also choose which support or care organisation you want to provide personal support with day to day tasks such as washing and cleaning. At many of our properties, tenants have their own room but they share communal areas like the lounge, bathroom and kitchen.
We also have lots of homes where tenants live alone or in a flat in a block and have their own kitchen, bathroom and bedroom.
Supported living could mean living in a place that is rented through an assured shorthold tenancy. Or it might be a joint or an individual tenancy, in shared or self-contained accommodation. Our tenants have the security of tenure with the same rights and responsibilities as anyone who rents their own home.
About supported living
Types of homes
Most of our housing offers a 'shared living' arrangement, whereby people rent one room in a house and share communal areas with others. Typically there will also be a sleep-in room for a support worker, and tenants will all receive a care support package funded through their local authority.
We also have a significant amount of self-contained accommodation, where tenants can live alone or within a block and have their own kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom and still receive support.
Healthy and safe homes
We promote a positive health and safety culture for our tenants, customers, communities, contractors and partners, as well as our colleagues. We do our utmost to reduce risk, prevent harm and ensure that safe working practices are adopted.
This commitment is implicit within our vision and values and shown through risk assessments, related policies, procedures, guidance and other operational control measures.
Our Compliance Team has overall responsibility for monitoring and achieving adherence to the relevant statutory requirements (although we do regard it as everyone’s responsibility who works with us to ensure we achieve Group compliance).
The Compliance Team’s work includes undertaking internal sample quality checks of property compliance-related work and overseeing the completion of actions from risk assessments and surveys. We also engage an external contractor to undertake third-party auditing of gas and electrical work/checks, to provide an extra layer of compliance assurance to the Group.
Statutory health and safety compliance is overseen by the Health and Safety Steering Group to ensure all legislative requirements are identified and met, policies are adequate and aligned, and sufficient resources are made available to achieve compliance.
Repairs and maintenance service
We understand the needs of our tenants and have a dedicated, supported living team who respond to all reports and are trained in learning disability and autism.
All our homes meet or exceed health and safety regulatory and legal requirements. We provide an aids and adaptations service to ensure our accommodation meets the changing needs of our tenants over their lifetime.
In some of our properties, we provide items of furniture like dining tables and chairs and some white goods.
For most of our properties, an amount is included in the service charge to repair or replace white goods and furnishings.
Support services model
We understand the needs of our tenants and have a dedicated, supported living team who respond to all reports and are trained in learning disabilities and autism.
All our homes meet or exceed health and safety regulatory and legal requirements. We provide an aids and adaptations service to ensure our accommodation meets the changing needs of our tenants over their lifetime.
In some of our properties, we provide items of furniture like dining tables and chairs and some white goods.
For most of our properties, an amount is included in the service charge to repair or replace white goods and furnishings.
Tenant wellbeing
These sessions provide information in an interactive and easy to understand way and allow us to consult with tenants on accessibility of leaflets, newsletters and posters, for example. The group of tenants meet online and face to face, which has developed a virtual community whilst helping to develop digital skills and confidence.
Areas covered by this group have included:
Repairs and maintenance
White goods and furniture
Garden volunteers
Health and safety
Tenant involvement
We have a dedicated Involvement Team who work with tenants to help improve services and to help them feel part of a wider supported living community.
We facilitate several regular tenant groups across the country, which helps us to improve our services and better manage our landlord responsibilities. They have also highlighted ways to improve our newsletters, leaflets and website. We involve tenants in all aspects of our service delivery, including our scrutiny pool.
We also work with community partners to enable tenants to learn something new, develop a skill, make something, or make something happen together.
Our tenants receive a quarterly newsletter with stories, quizzes, and information about their homes and services.