frequently asked questions

The service helps people who are at risk of homelessness and vulnerable people, to keep their accommodation and maintain independence. The services can be provided in temporary accommodation or other forms of supported accommodation.

The type of support that is offered will depend on a person’s individual needs. Support may simply be advice and guidance or a more detailed person centred plan covering:

• accommodation;
• health;
• emotional support;
• finance;
• practical skills;
• social issues; and
• education, training and employment.

We can also help service users access other support services such as community care, addictions, mental health, debt advice services and Women’s Aid.

A wide range of people get Housing Support Services.
These include:

• people living in sheltered housing;
• homeless people;
• people experiencing domestic violence;
• people with a chronic illness;
• people with a physical impairment, mental health issues or learning disability;
• ex-armed services personnel (including merchant navy personnel who have served on operations) with vulnerabilities;
• ex-offenders;
• people with drug and alcohol related problems;
• young people leaving home; and
• others who need a small amount of support.

They are to:

• help service users keep accommodation and get and maintain their independence;
• give high quality housing support to service users who are vulnerable, homeless or who are threatened with homelessness; and
• help prevent and reduce homelessness.

We will make sure that:

• our service complies with legislation and good practice;
• our service is flexible and tailored to the individual needs of service users;
• service users get a high quality service that meets the Health and Social Care Standards.
• there is no discrimination in providing our service;
• information on our service is available and that all information is written in plain language;
• we ask for regular feedback from service users to continually improve our service; and
• we work in partnership with other agencies to deliver our service.

You can access the Housing Support Service by a number of ways. These can include a referral to the Housing Support Team or an assessment for specialist accommodation. Referrals can be made through sections within Housing and Property Services, partner agencies and self referrals.

A housing support plan tells you about the service that you will be given, as agreed by you and the housing support worker. It is flexible and will change as your need for housing support changes. The information contained in the plan will be confidential to you and the staff who give support on a ‘need to know’ basis.

We will:

• give a housing support service that meets your needs. To help us do this, we encourage you to get involved in the assessment
• make sure that if you are a resident of specialist accommodation, you are aware of the cost implications and that a financial assessment of your ability to pay will be carried
• aim to have housing support assessments/support plans finished within seven days of you entering the
• give you a copy of your assessment, support plan and any amended housing support
• review support plans in line with your needs. This will be done at a minimum period of every four weeks and no later than every 12 weeks.

We want to ensure staff and service user’s safety by using a risk assessment and management process. This will assist service users to reduce or control risks and make sure that you live in a safe, secure environment and keep a high degree of independence within your home.

To help with this process, we will make sure that staff have the knowledge, skills, training and support needed to recognise hazards and identify risks. Staff, students and volunteers will work in line with The Limes Housings health and safety policies.

We will make sure that there is continued support for service usersduring any unexpected emergency. For example, staff sickness.

We will provide an uninterrupted service, even in the event of disruption or emergency.

You have the right to end or leave the service at any time. We will try and make this process as simple as possible by agreeing a planned approach. However, if you are housed in specialist accommodation, for example, sheltered housing you might not have the right to leave the service due to the terms and conditions of your tenancy agreement.

We will make sure that:

• an assessment of your housing support needs is carried out before housing support is provided; and
• housing support is provided within 24 hours of a referral when required, for example in a crisis situation; and
• you understand that stopping housing support may affect your ability to keep your

Requests to leave or end the service will be recorded. We will write and confirm receipt of the request within seven working days. This will include any arrangements that have been agreed on leaving the service. We will make sure that you understand the effects of leaving the service and that you know how to re-establish support in the future.

Confidential information is defined as information given by and stored by the Limes Housing, about service users and former service users,applicants for housing, tenants/residents, employees, prospective and former employees, contractors, suppliers and other agencies.

Confidential information will be requested, retained and managed, in accordance with data protection legislation.

We often have to work in partnership with (and source support from) other services and agencies. Other agencies include Social Work, NHS services, the police and any other relevant voluntary agencies. Where we have to share information with other agencies, we will make sure that this is done within agreed guidelines or will follow information sharing protocols.

We will make sure that if you ask us, we will give you access to personal information that we hold about you. We will not give out information to third parties without your written consent, unless it would influence the prevention of crime, child protection, vulnerable adult protection etc.

Sometimes, we may use volunteers and students to deliver the service. We will make sure that all volunteers and students are suitably trained and have had background checks carried out before they start.

There are various ways that a complaint can be made.

• If you are not satisfied with the service provided by the Limes Housing workers you should contact the Housing Officer/Supported Accommodation
• If you are still not satisfied you can use the Limes Housing Complaints Procedure.
• Complaints can also be made to the Care Inspectorate at their headquarters.

We will monitor the following areas to make sure that the service is being delivered, or to identify if there are areas where we need to improve.

• Number of service users receiving Housing Support Services, by service type;
• Number of service users leaving Housing Support Services, by service type; and
• Number of complaints received under the Limes Housing Complaints procedure relating to service provision.