Supported Accommodation and Extra Care Housing

Statutory responsibility for housing lies with the local District or Borough Council. and they manage access to a whole range of housing solutions for families and individuals of all abilities.

Kent County Council (KCC) has an interest in some housing schemes for people who may be older, have a learning or physical disability or have mental health problems.

In some cases KCC is directly involved in housing developments to ensure that those in need have access to housing with additional care and support services.
 
A range of services are available in Kent that provide you with your own home, your own front door and with access to on-site or dedicated care and support. In most cases you would have to pay the cost of this support yourself although if you think you require additional help or support in your daily activities you can find out if you would be eligible to receive additional support from us.

We describe the different types of housing available below.
 

Supported accommodation

Supported accommodation is a term usually used to define a small complex of flats with access to either dedicated or on-site care and support teams. This may mean that care services are available for set day time hours, over night or 24 hours a day.

These schemes are usually for people who have a learning disability or for people with mental health problems. Supported accommodation is provided to people to enable them to gain the life skills required so they can eventually move into independent accommodation.

These services are generally one bedroom self contained apartments with a communal area, although some services are in shared houses.

The Better Homes Active Lives project is a project that has 58 self contained one bedroom flats for people with learning disabilities in eight blocks across Kent and one block of seven one bedroom self contained flats for people with mental health problems. To be considered for these schemes, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Learning disability (LD) schemes
  You must be over 16, have a learning disability and care need, be registered with your district council as having a housing need and must live in Kent.
  
• Mental health (MH) scheme
  You will be registered with your district council as having a housing need and have an intensive support need.

The housing in this project is managed by Housing 21. A panel meets to review the applicants for the schemes to ensure that the service can meet the needs of the individual and that the eligibility criteria is met. Voting for nominations is 50% from Kent County Council and 50% from the relevant District Council.

The Horizons project provides accommodation to people with mental health problems. A range of support is provided across Kent by both Supporting People and Mental Health Services.

These services are usually one bedroom self contained apartments with a communal area, although some services are in shared houses. Find out more about housing related support.

The Campus re-provision project provides accommodation to people with learning disabilities.

Supported accommodation schemes in Kent that are not partnered with Kent County Council may have different eligibility criteria and processes.

Extra Care Housing

If you are less able to manage on your own, then Extra Care Housing services can allow you to live independently in a home of your own.

Most schemes are for older people (over 55) whereas other schemes are designed specifically for disabled people and may have specialised facilities and specially trained staff to provide support. They can be one or two bedroom self contained flats.
Services (such as care) and communal facilities (such as lounge, restaurant, gym, bar and hairdresser) are available on-site. These services and facilities can help you stay independent for longer.

In the following video, residents at Tovil Green Court in Maidstone, Kent describe their experiences of the facilities and accommodation at this new Extra Care Housing scheme.
 

Seven schemes are available in Kent as part of the Better Homes Active Lives project. To be eligible for these extra care schemes, you must be:

• 55 years old or over 
• Identified as having a social care need 
• Registered with your district council as having a housing need.
  

The Housing is managed by Housing 21. A panel meets to review the applicants for the schemes to ensure that the service can meet the needs of the individual and that the eligibility criteria is met. Voting for nominations is 50% from Kent County Council and 50% from the relevant District Council.

Extra Care Housing schemes in Kent that are not partnered with Kent County Council may have different eligibility criteria and processes.

Other housing options

Kent Homechoice is the ‘choice based lettings’ service for all council and housing association homes in Kent. With 38 partners we are the largest scheme in the UK.
You have more choice about where you want to live. You can bid for homes that are suitable for you. You can see feedback on your bids, and information on waiting times.

You can also find out about housing options and useful contacts.

If you are a public sector tenant you can advertise your home for a mutual exchange and search for properties to exchange with. For more information visit Kent Homechoice's website.

For other information on Housing, please contact your local District or Borough Council.