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INTRODUCING

AN

INTENSIVE HOUSING MANAGEMENT SERVICE

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Why is an “Intensive Housing Management” service P3 being considered? What is “Intensive Housing Management”? P4/5 Which Schemes will have the Intensive Housing P6 Management service available to them? What is the cost of the service? P7 Who will provide the service? P8 Consultation & Contacts P8

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Why is an “Intensive Housing Management” service being considered? Many tenants will be aware that the current

Support Service provided to tenants within

Sutton Housing Society’s sheltered

housing schemes is funded via the London

Borough of Sutton through their Supporting

People budget.

This funding will stop in 2017 as the London Borough of Sutton is to let

one contract, to a specialist support provider, to provide the higher level

of support needed in the borough, including at sheltered housing

schemes. This means that Sutton Housing Society will no longer be

funded to provide a support service to tenants.

The new support contract that the London Borough of Sutton will enter in

to is to address those individuals with a high level of support needs. At

Sutton Housing Society, there a very few tenants that reach the high

level of support needs that this new contract will address.

The vast majority of our tenants in sheltered housing with Sutton

Housing Society are independent and welcome the reassurance of the

lower level of support that is available to them, currently provided by the

Support Officers. There are a number of tenants at the sheltered

schemes that do need more help and assistance to live their day to day

lives and to sustain their tenancies. There are also those unexpected

situations that arise for individuals who are generally more independent

and who may need assistance for shorter periods of time. This is where

an Intensive Housing Management service comes in and can assist with

filling the gap left by the withdrawal of a formal support service.

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What is Intensive Housing Management? Intensive Housing Management is housing management landlord services provided at a higher level than would usually be necessary to those tenants that need increased assistance to maintain their tenancies. This includes not only regular landlord tasks but carrying out tasks such as accessing support and care from Social Services. Following the changes at our sheltered schemes in 2015, Sutton

Housing Society recognises how valuable the services we provide to

tenants are and we are keen to continue to provide and improve these

services, which tenants and families find reassuring and help tenants to

remain more independent in their homes. The Intensive Housing

Management service is a service that is available to all tenants living in

our sheltered housing schemes.

Intensive Housing Management covers issues such as:

Advice & assistance to understand and comply with the tenancy conditions

Annual individual risk assessments to ensure any risks are identified and referrals to support agencies made if necessary

Regular welfare checks to ensure your safety and well-being (this will be at a frequency agreed with the individual tenants)

Assistance in sustaining all aspects of the tenancy

Signposting and accessing support from other services e.g. budgeting support; assistance with debt management from

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voluntary agencies; accessing support to assist with alcohol/substance related matters

Provision of Pendants for more frail residents

Testing and maintenance of the Pull Cord Telecare system

Increased inspections and maintenance of the building, including health and safety issues, to address increased wear and tear to the property and facilities

Assistance in claiming/managing housing benefit application

Advice and assistance on using equipment within the property

Advice and assistance regarding security of the tenants’ home

Monitoring and signposting for social services care services

Arranging repairs to communal areas, including fixtures and fittings

Information and advice to tenants relating to use of communal areas, CCTV

NB: This is not an exhaustive list.

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Which Schemes will have the Intensive Housing Management

Service available to them?

All of the sheltered schemes currently have a level of support available

to them, funded via the London Borough of Sutton’s Supporting People

budget and via tenants that make the payment themselves.

The Intensive Housing Management service will be available at all of

Sutton Housing Society’s sheltered housing schemes:

Dorothy Pettingel House, Sutton

Griffiths Close, Worcester Park

Lancelot House, Carshalton

Margaret House, Sutton

Norman House, Sutton

Old Brewery House, Wallington

Robertson House, Sutton

Ronald House, Sutton

Thomas House, Sutton

Trickett House, Sutton

Sutton Housing Society is consulting with tenants at two of its non-

sheltered housing sites to see if they would like the Intensive Housing

Management service to be available to them.

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What is the Cost of the Intensive Housing Management Service? The cost is £6.16 per week, per tenancy and would be introduced in April 2017. This cost is the same as the existing support charge, which will no longer be payable. The Intensive Housing Management cost would be included within the service charge element of your gross rent. As this is the case, the Intensive Housing Management cost can be funded by Housing Benefit, where tenants qualify. For those tenants that receive Housing Benefit, it’s important to note that although the £6.16 will appear within your gross rent, overall it isn’t a new cost as previously the same charge has been paid for tenants in receipt of Housing Benefit directly to Sutton Housing Society via the Supporting People funding. For tenants that are currently “self-payers” of the existing Support

charge, you are likely to have to pay the Intensive Housing Management

charge yourself, as part of your rent; however, you will no longer have to

pay your current Support charge.

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Who will provide the Intensive Housing Management Service? The Intensive Housing Management service will be available to all tenants within Sutton Housing Society’s sheltered housing schemes and Sutton Housing Society staff will provide the service to tenants as part of its housing landlord duties. Sutton Housing Society will need to restructure its team to ensure it provides the service to a good standard and that there is resilience within the team to address any issues as they happen. Consultation and Contacts Sutton Housing Society’s Operations Director visited all sheltered schemes between 14 – 25 November 2016 to meet tenants and to discuss the changes to the support funding and its impact on Sutton Housing Society and its tenants. All tenants within Sutton Housing Society’s sheltered housing schemes are being consulted with in respect of these changes between 28 November 2016 – 19 February 2017. Please do take the time to share your views with Sutton Housing Society. Please send any comments, thoughts, and ideas on this issue by 19 February 2017 to:

Glynis Gatenby, Operations Director Sutton Housing Society Pat Shaw House 13 – 19 Ventnor Road Sutton SM2 6AQ

Following the consultation period, you will be contacted to confirm the situation in respect of the Intensive Housing Management service. Should you have any questions regarding this information leaflet, please contact Glynis Gatenby, as above or by emailing info@shsoc.org.uk