Social Landlord Service: Additional Support Policy

1.1.Great Yarmouth Borough Council (The Council) is committed to supporting tenants and leaseholders who require additional support. The Council recognises the importance of residents being able to reside as independently as possible. Social housing tenants and leaseholders have an obligation to fulfil the conditions of their tenancy or licence agreement. This includes paying rent and service charges; keeping their property in good condition and being respectful to their neighbours etc. When conditions are not met, reasonable and proportionate actions are taken to make the best use of the Council's housing stock and support local communities. Requiring additional support does not mitigate a tenant or leaseholder from these responsibilities. However, the Council does recognise that some residents will require additional support in meeting their obligations and aims to help tenants and leaseholders to sustain their tenancy or licence.

1.2.The Additional Support Policy is a sub policy of the over-arching Tenancy Policy,  which sits above other policies for the Social Landlord  Service. It is the responsibility of all Council staff to be aware of how requiring additional support might act as a barrier for tenants and leaseholders accessing and receiving services and identifying how their own area or function may be improved to meet the needs of these people.

2.1.The Council's definition of requiring additional support not only includes those who may be considered as in need of community care and support services. It also extends to anyone who experiences difficulties with everyday living and or who needs additional support to meet their obligations under their tenancy or licence agreement or to access Council services. There may be some overlap with those who have a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.

2.2.It is important to understand that not all those falling within the protected groups of the Equality Act will require additional support. For example, it is not correct to assume that all older people are in need of additional support even though there may be evidence to suggest that some will. Appendix 1 contains suggestions of people who might require additional support, though this is not intended to be an exhaustive or inclusive list.

2.3.People may well require additional support for reasons other than those specifically covered by equalities legislation. In particular, the Council's approach to these people recognises that need may not be a permanent state and that people can require additional support at various times for different reasons (as example following bereavement or relationship breakdown). A person can require additional support  as a result of a single problem; condition or a combination of factors. It may be because they are isolated from their support network or not coping with their current circumstances. Appendix 1 also suggests some indicators or points of when a person may require additional support.

2.4.The nature of the support provided will depend on the level of individual's or household's circumstances. Some support may be provided by the Council directly. In many cases it will be more appropriate for support to be provided by specialist external agencies following a referral from the Council. Support may be short or longer term. Sometimes support is time limited with a view to encouraging an individual to alter their lifestyle and/or to gain the skills, motivation or confidence to move on to greater independence. Appendix 2 provides a summary of the support that the Council will and can provide along with the role it will play in relation to support provided by other agencies. 

2.5.  In some cases, the Council will change its approach to the way it delivers services to reflect the additional support needs of a tenant or leaseholder and their household.  These reasonable adjustments will be made on a case-by-case basis reflecting the individual needs of the tenant or leaseholder and what service or decision is being made.

3.1.The key objectives of the policy are to ensure the Council:

• ensures its tenants' needs are understood, and the right support is given at the right time
• takes this policy into account and applies its principles when developing strategies, policies and procedures relating to tenants requiring additional support for their service areas, accessing all available data
• takes into account individual circumstances and does not apply blanket policies when decision making and providing services, ensuring reasonable and proportionate support is tailored to each situation
• complies with all legal and regulatory requirements and standards

4.1. Regulator of Social Housing - Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard 2024

This requires social housing landlords to:

• treat all tenants with fairness and respect
• foster a strong culture throughout the organisation of fairness, courtesy and respect, where tenants are listened to; can trust their landlord and adapt services and communications to meet individual tenants needs
• hold robust information about tenants to support the delivery of fair and equitable outcomes for tenants
• consider the diverse needs of their tenants (and prospective tenants, where relevant)
• make tenants aware of the different ways in which services are tailored to meet their needs
• deliver an effective, simple and accessible process to enable tenants and prospective tenants to nominate a representative to act on their behalf in interactions with their landlord about landlord service
• deliver effective communication with tenants and the provision of clear and accessible information is at the heart of an effective tenant/landlord relationship

4.2. Human Rights Act 1998

All public authorities, or bodies exercising public functions (which includes the Council for certain services) must adhere to the Human Rights Act 1998. The most relevant aspects of the Human Rights  legislation are:

• right to respect for private life, family life and the home
• prohibition of discrimination

The key things for the Council to consider are whether actions are legally, fairly, transparently and proportionately in line with its policies. It is important, however, to avoid applying blanket policies. The Council must allow individual circumstances to be taken into account in decision-making, particularly in relation to additional support needs. The ability to take account of individual circumstances will be an important consideration in undertaking impact assessments, when developing or reviewing strategies, policies, procedures or functions.

4.3.Pre-Action Protocol for Possession Claims by Social Landlords (2020)

The protocol sets out the requirements that a Registered Provider of Social Housing must have either considered or complied with in relation to possession proceedings. The aims of the protocol are to:

• encourage more pre-action contact and exchange of information between landlords and tenants
• enable the parties to avoid litigation by settling the matter if possible before court action is taken
• enable court time to be used more effectively if proceedings are necessary

4.3.1. Courts will take into account whether the protocol has been followed when considering what orders to make. Part 1 of the protocol requires the Council to consider the additional support needs of the tenant prior to the commencement of proceedings. If aware the tenant has difficult reading or understanding information, reasonable steps must be taken to ensure that communication is undertaken appropriately so that the tenant understands any information provided.

4.3.2. Where a tenant requires additional support, the Council need to consider at an early stage whether or not:

• a person has mental capacity to understand and defend the proceedings
• any issues are likely to arise under the Equality Act 2010 and ensure all reasonable adjustments are considered

4.4.Data Protection Act (1998, as amended)

Governs the protection of personal data. It is not a barrier to sharing information but provides a framework to ensure that personal information about a person is shared appropriately. This will particularly apply if the Council are sharing information with support providers in relation to a person's additional support need.

4.5.Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act protects persons from discrimination and ensures public authorities considers the need to remove or reduce disadvantages suffered by people because of a protected characteristic. It also ensures the needs of people with protected characteristics are met and encourage people with protected characteristics to participate in public life and other activities.

5.1.The Council's approach to supporting persons requiring additional support is based on the  following principles:

• promoting an approach based upon equality of outcome not an equality of service, this may mean treating people differently to achieve an equal outcome
• promoting and maintaining inclusive services to ensure they are fair and transparent
• utilising information held on tenants/ leaseholders and their household where applicable to tailor services to an individual's needs
• ensuring staff are empowered to be flexible in the way that they provide services to support tenants requiring additional support in the most effective way possible
• ensuring staff have the necessary skills, knowledge and guidance to recognise and respond effectively to the many facets of additional support requirements
• seeking to identify people potentially requiring additional support at an early stage to enable preventative action and timely, targeted support. (Appendix 3 outlines all the actions the Council takes to identify additional support requirements)
• recognising the role of carers, care workers, advocates and other personal representatives and take their views into account when consulting  tenants requiring additional support
• sharing relevant information between internal Council services
• complying with relevant legislation, pre-action court protocols and recognised best practice, including in terms of information sharing and data protection
• working effectively with appropriate partner agencies to ensure support needs are met and to avoid duplication of service provision
• promoting the principles of this policy to staff, tenants, leaseholders and stakeholders

6.1. The Council will measure the effectiveness and success of this policy by:

• the number of complaints based on a failure to support tenants requiring additional support
• an increase in overall customer satisfaction amongst tenants requiring additional support
• evidence of Equality Impact Assessments being undertaken when Social Landlord Service policies are written or reviewed or major changes to the service are proposed
• quarterly assessment of compliance with the Regulator for Social Housing's regulatory standards

7.1. This policy is relevant to all services that the Council provides to its customers. A range of data will be collected to manage a person's tenancy and support their wellbeing. Depending on the circumstances of the tenant this could include: sensory; mobility; literacy; language; dependency; numeracy; mental health data and any other information that maybe required. All data collected will be securely held on our encrypted and access controlled housing management system and where appropriate shared with agencies to support a tenants wellbeing. Information will be managed in accordance to our data retention policy.

8.1.The overall responsibility for this policy lies with the Chief Executive. However, all staff are responsible for the application of this policy in relation to their day to day delivery of a service to tenants and leaseholders.

9.1. A draft of this policy was reviewed by tenants in April 2025 and their feedback and or comments were taken into consideration in the development of this policy.

10.1. The Councils Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy outlines the Council's commitment to equality of access and outcomes for all customers. This Additional Support Policy is compatible with the principles outlined in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. By the very nature of the principles and objectives set out within this policy, an equality impact assessment of this policy is not required.

11.1. Addressing the needs of people requiring additional support is a key business requirement as many of the risks faced by these tenants are passed on to the Council, as example through disruption to rental income. A sustained tenancy in most cases will be more cost effective than a homeless or crisis situation requiring intensive interventions and support by the Council and other agencies.

11.2. Failure to identify and support tenants who require additional support could result in a higher levels of property turnover, increased repair and maintenance costs and higher demand on both the Social Housing Landlord Service and other services. Failure to provide an inclusive and equitable service to tenants, could lead to reputational damage, a breach of the Regulator of Social Housing's Consumer Standards and in particular the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard or a discrimination claim being made against the Council. If the Council does not act compatibly with human rights, individuals who are adversely affected can challenge this by raising a complaint or bringing a claim in the courts. This can be in the form of a stand-alone human rights claim, or, if a person is already involved in legal proceedings against a public body, then they can add a human rights claim to those proceedings. For the Council, this is most likely to occur in those legal cases where the judge has a limited amount of discretion (as example where the Council are seeking possession on a mandatory ground). A person challenging a public authority decision (as example in relation to allocations, assignment, succession) through judicial review can also claim that the decision violated their human rights.

12.1. This policy will be reviewed every five years or earlier if required.

Examples of people who might require additional support includes, but not limited to people who are or have:

• physical; sensory or learning disability
• experienced domestic abuse
• mental health condition
• seriously ill
• long term medical condition which
• unemployed
• single parent family
• pregnant (especially teenagers)
• victims/survivors of domestic abuse
• leaving care/care leavers
• victims/survivors of adult/elder or child abuse
• isolated
• victims/survivors of coercion including cuckooing
• older
• former members of the armed forces
• ex-offenders
• considered to be financially excluded
• substance abuse problems
• difficulties understanding, speaking or reading English

During a tenant's journey with the Council, indicators or points where additional support might be required include:

• homelessness and or repeat homelessness
• hospitalisation
• the period following discharge from hospital or other institutional care
• periods of sustained illness at home
• bereavement
• evidence of neighbour harassment or abuse toward the individual or household
• evidence of anti-social behaviour by the individual or household
• unemployment or reduction in hours
• divorce or relationship breakdown
• arrears of rent or other debt problems

Providing information and help

This includes:

• staff providing advice and or support
• signposting tenant and leaseholders to the Great Yarmouth Community Hub and or other organisations
• making referrals within the Council's Social Landlord Service as example to a Tenancy Support Officer to provide support
• helping with completing forms and provision of documents as example for verification purposes
• helping with applying for housing in accordance with the Housing Allocations Scheme

Making reasonable adjustments to service delivery arrangements

The Council uses information proactively to inform the way services are delivered. This may include:

• more regular contact maintained by an appropriate staff member
• undertaking home visits
• agreeing a nominated contact person
• providing information in other formats where agreed with the customer that this is the most appropriate means of communication (as example translations, interpreters, signers, audiotapes, Braille, large print documents)
• allowing a tenant or a leaseholder more time to get to the telephone or door
• accelerating repairs for people with particular health additional support needs
• waiving recharges for repairs in certain circumstances that would normally be made
• providing additional support to resolve breaches of tenancy where a tenants needs impacts their ability to sustain their tenancy

Making adaptations to properties

The Social Landlord Service has a separate budget to fund the cost of adapting Council properties to meet the specific needs of tenants and their household. More information can be found in the Adaptations Policy for Council Tenants. Adaptations to leasehold properties are not funded by the Social Landlord Service and requests for adaptations will be considered in accordance with the Private Sector Adaptations and Improvements Policy and Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) legislation.

Working to promote financial inclusion

The Council recognises that poverty and debt are more prevalent in social housing than in the general population and this is  an area where additional support may be required. The Council aims to help tenants and leaseholders to prevent and or reduce debt, manage their money and maximise their incomes.

Accessing other agencies

Often, the Council will not be the most appropriate organisation to provide the necessary support for a tenant or leaseholder and will seek to access specialist support services provided by partner agencies through their work within the Great Yarmouth Community Hub and charities and statutory agencies such as social services. The Council is proactive in developing links with advice, support and mediation services, which are able to be accessed for tenants. In order to ensure the best outcome for tenants the Council will:

• ensure that customer's agreement is obtained, wherever possible, prior to making any referral to a third party
• provide any practical assistance required as example completing paperwork and making appointments to support referrals
• work to ensure effective communication and information sharing arrangements are in place with partner agencies
• monitor the effectiveness of outcomes for customers referred

Identifying need for additional support at an early stage enables the Council to make a timely response and where possible tailor services to meet the needs of the individual or household. Where the Council does not provide the service direct, identifying need for additional support will prompt staff to signpost people or make a referral to relevant organisations that can provide support.

Proactive arrangements

The Council has a number of proactive arrangements in place to identify tenants and leaseholders requiring additional support. All relevant details will be recorded on the Social Landlord Service  integrated housing assets and management system.

Nomination stage: 

All applications for housing through the Council's Housing Allocations Scheme are assessed in terms of their capability to hold a tenancy and to determine if any support is required.  The Social Landlord Service may decline a nomination for a particular property where (amongst other reasons) it is considered that the proposed tenant will be unable to sustain a tenancy or the proposed property may be unsuitable and or unsafe accommodation for them.

Viewing: 

Prior to the viewing of a potential new home all applicants are asked if they need support to attend the viewing (as example where the applicant has a support worker they are invited to attend, or that translation or signing services are required and or arranged). Viewings are always accompanied as a further means of identifying additional support needs and assessing suitability of the property offered.

Customer Additional Support  Information: 

Detailed information is collected from the new home applicant during the accompanied viewing, this includes information on disability and other health issues; communication needs and other support requirements. Where a tenant or leaseholder advises they have an additional support need in emails and letters or when speaking to a staff member, this information will be recorded.  

Tenancy Support Visits:

Social Landlord Service visits all new tenants within 6 weeks of a new tenancy starting. Tenants are then contacted after six months to review wellbeing and how they are sustaining their tenancy. This provides a further opportunity to identify any additional support needs  and deliver and or facilitate support. During a tenancy, the Council will visit all tenants to complete a Tenancy Support Visit. This visit provides an opportunity to identify any new changes and identify support needs. The frequency of a Tenancy Support Visit will vary between one and three years to reflect the additional support needs of the tenant and whether there are any tenancy breaches. The Council will seek to involve carers, care workers and other advocates in Tenancy Support Visits as appropriate and reflecting the tenant's wishes.

Tenancy and licence Breaches (including anti-social behaviour):

Where there is a breach of the tenancy agreement, licence or lease, the Council will consider any additional support needs of the tenant, occupier or leaseholder and assess what is required for the tenant to rectify the tenancy breach. An Equality Assessment will be undertaken before any legal action is taken.   

Other ways additional support needs will be identified

There are a number of ways the Council will be able to identify if a tenant/leaseholder has or potentially has additional support needs, include concerns expressed or identified by:

day to day interactions with tenants or leaseholders by Social Landlord Service staff including in person, by phone or email or when working in a tenant or leaseholder's home or nearby.

• repairs and maintenance staff or contractors undertaking work inside or outside of Council properties
• senior managers during their contact with customers and staff (as example when handling complaints)
• Councillors raising concerns about the additional support needs of a tenant or leaseholder
• health or social care professionals, other statutory and voluntary agencies (as example care worker, police, probation service, advocacy agencies)
• the individual's family members, carer, friends or neighbours

Staff members are expected to take every opportunity to update information on tenant or leaseholder and their household circumstances through their day to day service delivery. It is, however, the responsibility of every staff member to report any additional support needs they identify during their work. Once identified a welfare concern is identified a member of the Tenancy Services Team will  actively investigate to ensure appropriate support is facilitated to sustain wellbeing and or tenancy.