What is supported living?
It’s a combination of housing and support services, provided to enable people to be as independent as possible, to have choice and control over where they want to live, who they want to live with and the support they receive.
How many people in Leicestershire are in supported living?
There are around 360 people who are in supported living, around 70 - 80% are adults with learning disabilities and the remainder have physical or mental health issues.
What is the age range of people in supported living?
The majority of people are aged between 18 - 65 years with a small number of older people currently in services.
What sort of needs do people in supported living have?
A learning disability impacts cognitive and behavioural development that is likely to affect level and method of communication, speech development, understanding and awareness in physical environment, keeping safe and decision making. Some may lack capacity to make decision in relation to particular circumstances and for some there is also an impact on sensory perception.
How do you make the decision on who goes into supported living?
Detailed assessments are completed that involves the professionals involved in the person’s life, their circle of support (family/parent/carers) and the person themselves.
The location and type of scheme is also taken into account as an area may be suitable for someone as it is close to their network of support, they may be familiar with the area or the level of support that will be provided in the scheme is the most appropriate for them as not one size fits all.
Where were people coming to supported living accommodation, living previously?
The majority of people were living in the family home and have moved so they can benefit from having their own home and becoming independent or have needed to move due to a change in circumstances for their parent/carer (ill health, long term effect of caring, bereavement).
Others have moved out of institutional care (residential care) to live in the community with the right level of support.
There are also people currently living in the Harborough district who are waiting for suitable accommodation.
What support do people in supported living get?
Developing practical skills in managing the home for example: budgeting and money management, shopping, planning meals, cooking, cleaning the home, reporting repairs,
Looking after yourself and staying well: personal care, health appointments, collecting, storing and taking medication diet and healthy lifestyle
Social Inclusion: being involved and integrated into the local community through leisure and social activities, using local facilities and public transport
Vocational: education, personal development, training, volunteering and employment
Who are the providers and where are they based?
We have a Framework in place with five providers who support those living in the following areas;
| Hinckley | Aspirations Care |
|---|---|
| Harborough | Creative Support |
| Coalville | Affinity Trust |
| Aspirations Care | Royal Mencap |
| Melton | Lifeways Community Care |
How are people in supported living integrated into the community?
The Support Provider will support individuals to access the local community through leisure and social activities, using local facilities and public transport.
What are the arrangements for overnight support?
The Support Provider will be based overnight in the property and will provide the support that each person may require throughout the night.
Who will manage the building?
The landlord will have overall responsibility for managing the building and issuing tenancies. The Support Provider based at the scheme will have some responsibility for practical areas such as helping tenants to report repairs and daily/weekly fire safety.
Why is there not more supported living accommodation available across the county?
There are a number of reasons for this that relate to previous approach in decision making and views on how people are safely supported that has led to an over reliance on residential care for working age adults with a learning disability.
We are working to increase the amount of Supported living schemes across the County to give the people that we support an increased opportunity to live a life with the right level of support and opportunities to become members of a community. Increasing the amount then relies on having the right offer of accommodation in locations that people want to live in with access to public transport and local amenities as well as less busy areas as not one size fits all.
It is acknowledged that there is general lack of smaller more affordable housing across the whole of the UK, not just in Leicestershire.
Working Age Adults Accommodation Strategy
Our actions and the housing partners that we are/intend to work with are set out in the Working Age Adults Accommodation Strategy
You can watch a video made by people who have moved into supported living schemes and how this has changed their lives. The only scheme not available in Leicestershire is called ‘supported tenant’ where a volunteer lives in the same house with those being supported rent free in exchange for a contribution to looking out for those living in the house.