Supported and Sheltered housing

Supported Housing

Supported Housing Services are funded through the Supporting People programme and are aimed at helping people to live more independently and maintain their tenancies.

Independence is important to most of us and the Council provides a range of services to help and support you to make life easier.

Please click on the links on the right to find out more about the individual services available.

Homelessness Services. This is a housing and support project for people faced with homelessness.

Sheltered Housing. This is accommodation with the services of an Independent Living Manager for people aged 60+ (see more information below)

Extra Care Housing. This is self contained flats with access to a 24 hour onsite care team suitable for people aged 60+ who would benefit from the support available.

Homelink which the Council’s 24 hour community alarm service providing you with the reassurance and confidence help is at hand 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

The Council also works in partnership with The Pathway Project to provide a refuge for women and their children escaping domestic violence. You can access their service 24 hours a day.

Telephone (in confidence) : 01543 676800.

If you would like any further information about our Supported Housing Services please contact the Supported Housing Manager

Telephone: 01827 709472 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm).

Sheltered Housing

This is accommodation with the services of an Independent Living Manager for people aged 60+

Homelink which the Council’s 24 hour community alarm service providing you with the reassurance and confidence help is at hand 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

This web page contains information for people who might wish to apply to live in sheltered housing in Tamworth and also for their families. It explains how the schemes are run and what Independent Living Managers do.

The web page will also provide current residents with clear guidance on what services they can expect to receive.

What is sheltered housing?

Who is sheltered housing for?

What does the Independent Living Manager do?

What is expected of tenants?

How can friends and family help?

Are there any special conditions of tenancy?

A tenancy in sheltered housing is a standard secure tenancy subject to:

The particular service provided by the Independent Living Managers and Homelink.
Schemes with shared access are unsuitable for keeping pets such as dogs and cats though caged birds are welcome
Lodgers are not allowed in sheltered housing accommodation under any circumstances. This is because the accommodation is specially built for the elderly

Service charges

In addition to the basic weekly rent tenants of sheltered housing pay specific service charges for the specialised service they receive.

These service are

A Management service charge, which reflects the cost of maintaining, and providing the scheme as sheltered housing.
A support service charge that relates to services specifically provided to support individuals (for example a proportion of the cost of providing an Independent Living Manager and the cost of providing an alarm system).
A Homelink charge that relates to the provision of a 24-hour monitoring service.
Some schemes will also charge for the provision of communal laundry facilities.

The specific details of the rates of charges that apply to your scheme will be detailed on your offer letter, tenancy agreement and rent card.

Communal facilities

The following facilities are available in Sheltered Housing schemes. Please note that not all of the schemes will have the complete range of communal facilities.

A communal lounge - for use by all tenants and their visitors. Most schemes run regular social activities such as coffee mornings, bingo and luncheon clubs, which are held in the lounge. Sometimes the lounges are also used for social events by other sheltered housing schemes or other older people in the neighbourhood, who do not have their own lounge. Lounges may sometimes be used for tenants private functions though these must be booked through the Independent Living Manager well in advance.

Laundry rooms - tenants are responsible for their own laundry and facilities are provided within most of the schemes. Please note that Community Care Assistants always have priority use of the laundry facilities as they are working to a strict time schedule.

Telephone - most schemes have a pay phone for use by residents and their visitors. Residents may of course, still have their own private telephone installed in their home if they so wish.

Library - some schemes have a library or reading area for use by residents. This is stocked with books from the mobile library van, which are changed regularly.

TV Licences - some schemes qualify for a concessionary television licence, which currently costs £5 per unit per year. This money is collected by the Independent Living Manager. Your Independent Living Manager will be able to tell you if you are eligible for a concessionary licence.

Guestrooms - some schemes have a guestroom available for visiting friends and relatives. These can be booked through the Independent Living Manager for a reasonable nightly charge.