Social Landlord Service: Additional Support Policy

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