Social Landlord Service: Additional Support Policy

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.