EILDON HOUSING ASSOCIATION

SHELTERED HOUSING SERVICES

September 2014

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INDEX

INTRODUCTION

THE ROLE OF SHELTERED HOUSING SUPPORT STAFF

WHO MIGHT BENEFIT FROM SHELTERED HOUSING

CHARGES FOR THE ACCOMODATION AND HOUSING SUPPORT

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE

TENANTS RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

HOW IS THE SUPPORT SERVICE REGULATED

TENANT ENGAGEMENT

COMMENTS / CONCERNS

CARE AND SUPPORT MANAGEMENT TEAM

USEFUL CONTACTS

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INTRODUCTION

This brochure tells you about Sheltered Housing provided by Eildon

Housing Association, how the services we offer operate and what you

can expect

Sheltered housing refers to grouped housing where tenants have the

independence of their own self-contained accommodation with

support from staff when on duty and through the community alarm

service. The Association has five sheltered housing developments –

Millar House in Melrose, Oakwood Park in Galashiels, Frank Scott

Court and Teviot Court in Hawick and Riverside House in Peebles. We

aim to help older people to retain their independence and enjoy a

good quality of life in the community.

Each development has a lounge, dining area and garden to enable

tenants to pursue social activities together if they wish. There is also a

laundry, assisted bathroom /shower room for those with mobility

problems and guest room accommodation for visiting relatives or

friends of tenants.

Each development varies in size and housing support is provided

within each by a small fully trained staff team. Our Services aim to be

flexible and respond to individual needs. Our Services are regulated

and inspected by the Care Inspectorate against the National Care

Standards. (Contact information is available at end of this brochure).

Riverside House

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Housing Support is provided by a Co-ordinator and an Assistant Co-

ordinator at each development who are supported with relief staff

covering for holidays, training, sickness etc.

Staffing hours vary slightly between developments but are normally

9am – 5pm or 6pm Mon – Fri, with staff on duty at weekends varying

from 2hrs – 5hrs .

There is an emergency call system throughout the development, which

provides two-way speech between tenants and staff when they are on

duty.

When staff are not on duty, the call system connects automatically to

a Community Alarm Scheme, where staff respond to all calls and take

appropriate action. So 24 hour support but not 24 hour staffing.

THE ROLE OF SHELTERED HOUSING SUPPORT STAFF

Staff cover a wide range of tasks some of which are listed below :

Through daily contact with tenants and growing knowledge of their

activities and routines, staff are able to assist in identifying

tenants’ needs, both physical and emotional. They are likely to

notice any change in a tenant or in his/her circumstances, through

actively monitoring well-being.

Playing a key role in securing and co-ordinating services. They

respond where necessary and call on the support of other

relevant people or agencies to meet a tenants’ needs e.g., the

tenants’ family, health services, Social Work services, Eildon staff.

Oakwood Park

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Staff help tenants maintain independence by providing support for

tenants to do things for themselves where possible e.g. advising on

the use of aids and adaptations, suggesting the use of external

services – WRVS shopping service, assisted transport services etc.

Assisting tenants to organise social events and activities.

Staff provide a listening ear, and tenants can confide in them

anxieties, hopes or fears, requiring staff judgement on the most

appropriate support to offer and when to seek help from others.

Staff take part in allocation visits with Housing Officers, show

around prospective tenants/visitors to the development.

Staff also oversee and deal with administration, e.g. perform

regular checks on fire system, emergency lights, call system,

report repairs within the development.

In some cases, supervise other staff e.g. interviewing, induction of

new staff, supervision and appraisal of staff, regular staff meetings,

arrange and attend staff training.

Staff members are required to deal with difficult or sensitive situations

diplomatically while maintaining confidentiality as appropriate.

A major part of the role of staff involves being aware of and responding

to tenant’s’ needs to ensure their health and well-being. However it is

important to remember that the staff cannot provide personal care for

tenants. Rather the job is to care about each tenant, and provide

support including help to access services to meet care needs.

WHO MIGHT BENEFIT FROM SHELTERED HOUSING?

To apply you must register with Borders Choice Homes (BCH). Further

information about registration with BCH is on page 11.

People who use our services are usually older people who have

housing and support needs. Priority is given to those people who are

most in need of accommodation and the housing support services we

provide. Prior to allocation of a tenancy we meet with you to carry out

an assessment of your overall needs linking in with other agencies as

required.

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Before you move in our staff will discuss the support and assistance

available.

Tenants may find their need for support

and assistance varies from time to time,

and staff keep in regular contact to ensure

the support received is appropriate. To

achieve this, our staff will complete a

Housing Support Plan with each tenant.

This records information about the

individual and their personal

circumstances. The Plan also informs how

we provide our Housing Support Service .

Tenants will receive a copy of their Plan,

which is generally reviewed with individual

tenants every six months.

CHARGES FOR THE ACCOMODATION AND HOUSING SUPPORT

SERVICE

MODATION AND HOUSING SUPPORT?

Tenants must pay a monthly rent and service charge. This covers the

cost of providing and maintaining the property and also services such

as the upkeep of communal areas and furnishings. The rent and

service charges vary based on the size and type of accommodation

and are reviewed annually.

The staff time in sheltered and very sheltered housing developments

is funded by the local authority with payment of a ‘Supporting People’

grant to Eildon Housing Association.

This funding allows us to deliver our housing support services.

Scottish Borders Council are responsible for collecting any Housing

Support charges due from individual tenants and will contact tenants

directly about this.

These charges vary between developments, and are payable every

four weeks. Details of contacts for Scottish Borders Council team are

provided at the end of this brochure.

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FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE

Assistance may be available to individual

tenants to help to meet rent and service

charges payable to Eildon through Housing

Benefit that is administered by SBC.

SBC will make a financial assessment of the

circumstances of new tenants and advise

individuals of the outcome of this and how

much they will have to pay, if anything.

TENANTS RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

All tenants of Eildon Housing Association receive a Scottish Secure

Tenancy Agreement that sets out their rights and responsibilities as a

tenant, and the duties and responsibilities of Eildon Housing

Association as the landlord.

Further information on this is also provided in the Tenant’s Handbook

which is given to all new tenants.

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HOW IS THE SUPPORT SERVICE REGULATED?

Our service is registered with the Care Inspectorate

which is the national organisation in Scotland

responsible for the registration, inspection and

monitoring of housing support services.

An Individual Housing Support Plan which includes the tenants’ name,

address, date of birth, details of GP and next of kin and any relevant

medical information is completed and agreed with each tenant.

Information is also provided to Bordercare Community Alarm Scheme

for their records so that they can respond to any call for assistance

made to them. The Support Plan sets out the services we will provide

to meet individuals needs and the basis on which we will provide

them.

This Plan is required in order to comply with the principles of the

National Care Standards; dignity, privacy, choice, safety, equality and

diversity and realising potential.

It is essential we hold this information in order to provide an effective,

efficient and consistent service and to ensure that our obligations to

individuals can be fulfilled.

Copies of The National Care Standards are available at each of our

sheltered developments.

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Information on tenant

engagement is given in

the quarterly tenants

newsletters which all

tenants receive, from

our Tenant Participation

Officer, or from our

website, see contact

details on page 11.

TENANT ENGAGEMENT—EXPRESSING YOUR VIEWS

We want to hear your views and encourage you,

your family and/or representatives to give us

feedback on the services you receive. We have a

variety of ways in which you can do this, some of

which are mentioned below:

Eildon Tenants Organisation (ETO)

Provision of 3 places for tenants on our Board

Tenants opinion panels which focus on specific aspects of our

services

Estate management visits —walkabouts with Housing Officers

Tenants satisfaction surveys

Local suggestion boxes

Care Services Co-ordinator, Chief Executive and Board members

visit each development regularly to hear your views and

suggestions.

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COMMENTS/CONCERNS

If you feel that you are not satisfied or are unhappy about

any aspect of our service you should firstly discuss the

issue with the local Co-ordinator. If you are not comfortable

about involving the staff member, you should contact the

Care Services Co-ordinator to discuss your concern. If the

problem has not been resolved at this level, a formal

complaint should be made to the Director of Housing and

Care Services. Complaints about members of staff should

be generally made in writing. The procedure gives the

opportunity for your complaint to be reviewed to ensure

that the Association’s policies and procedures have been

followed. We operate a 2 stage procedure. You will be

advised of the process, actions and timescales.

If you feel your complaint has not been satisfactorily

resolved, you can take your complaint to the Care

Inspectorate, Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and

Scottish Housing Regulator.

Tenants also have a right to make a comment or complaint

about the service direct to the Care Inspectorate or

Scottish Borders Council.

A copy or our complaints procedure is available at each

development from the Co-ordinator or direct from our

Selkirk office, or from our web site www.eildon.org.uk.

Information on this is also contained in our Tenants’

Handbook.

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EILDON CARE AND SUPPORT MANAGEMENT TEAM

The Sheltered Housing Support staff are supervised and supported by

the following management team:

Agnes Bell

Care Services Manager (Older People)

Email: agnesb@eildon.org.uk

The Weaving Shed

Ettrick Mill, Dunsdale Road

Selkirk, TD7 5EB

(01750) 725900

Amanda Miller

Director of Housing and Care Services

Email: amandam@eildon.org.uk

The Weaving Shed

Ettrick Mill, Dunsdale Road

Selkirk, TD7 5EB

(01750) 725900

OTHER EILDON CONTACTS:

Tenancy Sustainment Team 03000 200 217

benefitenquiries@eildon.org.uk

Customer Engagement Officers

Pamela Martyn/Alistair Ramage 03000 200 217

Housing Officers: 03000 200 217

Borders Choice Homes: www.homehunt.info

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This document is available in large print on request

USEFUL CONTACTS

Care Inspectorate:

Ettrick Riverside Business Centre (01896) 6664400

Dunsdale Road www.scswis.com

Selkirk

TD7 5EB

Scottish Borders Council:

Contracts/Supporting People (01896) 848370

Social Work, East End, Earlston www.scotborders.gov.uk

Eildon Housing is part of Eildon Housing Association Ltd.

Registered Office:

The Weaving Shed, Ettrick Mill, Dunsdale Road, Selkirk TD7 5EB

enquiries@eildon.org.uk ♦ www.eildon.org.uk

A registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 - 1757R(S) A Scottish Charity SCO15026