Housing Initiatives provides additional/intensive housing management functions and tasks that would not be provided in general needs accommodation where no additional needs exist.
The general population within supported housing are vulnerable people all in receipt of care and support and thus encompass a specific set of needs therefore the provision of an intensive housing management service is probably essential to the general tenant population of this specific type of accommodation.
Supported Housing is provided to primarily tenants who are disadvantaged with a wide range of complex and changing needs. There are a significant proportion of tenants whose high support needs, poor housing management awareness and lack of practical skills, mean that there is a requirement for a much more enhanced housing management provision to ensure that the tenants can sustain their tenancy whilst at the same time ensure that the landlord is providing reasonable and adequate accommodation for all tenants.
Housing Initiatives go above and beyond what mainstream landlords do, we provide our tenants with the additional intensive housing management services that they require.
Such additional / intensive housing management services include, but are not limited to:
- Ensuring that the rent is paid on time and that they do not fall into arrears.
- Explain the tenancy agreement and assist all tenants to abide by it.
- Organising and arranging for any repairs or improvements that need to be carried out and always take time out to meet with the contractors in our properties to make sure that our tenants are safe.
- Referring tenants to NHS Occupational Health and arrange meetings with the Occupational Therapists to adapt our homes to suit our tenants needs so they don’t have to move out.
- Assisting tenants in filling out grants and liaising with various council departments.
- Controlling access to the premises.
- Ensuring that tenants are aware of their rights under their Occupancy Agreement.
- Offering advice and guidance on keeping property to a reasonable standard of hygiene.
- Assisting tenants to access other support providers as required.
- Liaising with all relevant agencies, both statutory and voluntary, on the tenant's behalf.
- Dealing with nuisance issues.
- Ensuring that tenants know how to use equipment safely.
- Providing tenants with advice and facilitating a move to alternative accommodation as required.
- Assisting tenants to claim Housing Benefit and other welfare benefits.
- Assisting tenants in finding voluntary employment and life changing skills.
- Providing guidance, advice and assisting tenants to help them to retain their tenancies.
- Providing encouragement, including one to one support, to tenants in the development of social and daily living skills.
- Assisting tenants in dealing with official letters, budgeting, health referrals, maintenance and neighbourhood issues.
- Accompanying tenants and /or tenant’s family/advocates to meetings with other agencies.
- Supporting a group of our tenants to produce a newsletter which is distributed to all our tenants.
- Organising days out for all our tenants to venues chosen by the tenants. This has included a visit to Chester Zoo, Knowsley Safari Park and a trip on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal on the Pride Of Sefton.
Liverpool Echo / March 2004 - Son Inspired Care Project
Bootle Times / Sep 2004 - Flats for Sale
Blackburne House Education / Dec 2005 - Letter from Andrew Jones, Lead Tutor in Housing.
Sefton Council / Sep 2004 - Letter from Peter Pattenden, Head of Adult Services
Sefton Council / Sep 2004 - Letter from Margaret Milne, Principle Housing Officer