About supported housing services

Support housing services aim to enable vulnerable people to live more independently, both in their own home and in the community, through the provision of housing related support services. This support is delivered by staff often known as key workers, wardens or support workers. Services include support for people living in hostels, sheltered housing, shared homes and visiting support packages to people in their own homes.

Housing related support includes tasks such as: 

  • Help to access benefits
  • Help with budgeting
  • Help finding and accessing other services e.g. health or home care services
  • Help to access local activities
  • Support to maintain a tenancy
  • Help to access education, training or work
  • Life skills training like learning to cook
  • Helping people to feel safe and secure in their home
  • Support to move on to more independent living

What we don't fund

Housing related support does not include support with physical or personal care, such as:

  • Dressing
  • Bathing
  • Feeding
  • Cleaning
  • Laundry

We are working with HomeShare UK to deliver a new home share scheme that aims to tackle loneliness and isolation while providing more affordable housing.

Costs

If you are receiving support in short stay services (usually less than two years) you will not have to pay for your support, even if you pay your own rent.

If you are receiving long term support either in your own home or in long stay and permanent supported housing or sheltered housing:

  • If you pay for your rent in full, then you will most likely have to pay for support. However, you are entitled to a Financial assessment, which may reduce what you have to pay. For more information, please contact the Financial Assessment Team (020 8871 6218).
  • If you are on any level of Housing Benefit you will not have to pay for support.

Contact Supported housing services

This includes sheltered accommodation, Tenancy support and Community development:

Accessing services and advice

Depending on your individual needs, services can be accessed via the organisations listed on the housing contacts page.

  • Rehousing team - for sheltered housing for older people and for housing for people with physical disabilities
  • Your social worker
  • A Community Mental Health Team worker

  • For help accessing social work, occupational therapy and other care-related services contact the Access Team in Adult Social Care

  • For information and advice about benefit assessment and charges visit our Housing Benefit and Council Tax reduction pages

  • Threshold housing advice service provide independent legal advice solely on housing issues. Telephone: 020 8767 6888

Monitoring the services

Services are quality monitored by the Procurement, Contract Management and Brokerage (PCMB) Team, by extensive service reviews. These reviews include a visit to talk to people who use the service, front line staff and managers.

Once reviews are completed anyone can request a copy of the service review reports.

You can also give us your views about services at any time by writing to the senior procurement officer:

Senior Procurement Officer 
PCMB Team 
Department of Adult Social Services 
c/o Town Hall, 
Wandsworth High Street 
London 
SW18 2PU

 

Up to Sheltered housing and independent living

Updated: 27/07/2021