Severn Vale Housing Society

Introduction

The Society aims to ensure that suitable accommodation is available to meet the specific needs of an individual or family both within its sheltered and general needs housing.

Policy

The Society recognises that additional features and support may be required in order to enable a person to occupy a basic unit of accommodation.

The Society will design new developments to mobility and lifetime home standards, and a proportion to full wheelchair standards in line with the Development Strategy where a need has been identified. The Director of Development will carry out full consultation with the Director of Housing Services regarding the provision of Special Needs accommodation.

The Society will ensure that purpose built accommodation for the elderly, and other client groups, will be so designed as to assist individuals to retain their independence and dignity.

The Society recognises that the task of identifying and recording housing need is a process that requires co-ordination. It will, therefore, aim to co-operate with statutory and voluntary agencies to achieve this and to keep an accurate database of those requiring special needs housing.

Implementation

Aids and Adaptations

If a tenant, or someone on their behalf, indicates that a need may exist for aids or adaptations, the Society will investigate the options for resolving the situation. In the first instance the applicant will be advised to contact the County Council Customer Services Officers. After discussing the tenant’s requirements they may refer the tenant to an Occupational Therapist (OT). The OT will assess the tenant’s needs and if adaptations are needed will write to the Society to request those works. The Society will carry out minor works within its own budgets or will explore the availability of grant provision for more extensive works with the Local Authority. Where a grant is available works will be carried out.

Where a grant is not available or does not cover all of the person’s requirements, or the property is not suitable for adaptation, the applicant can be considered for a transfer to more suitable accommodation or funding by the Society will be considered where the present rent for the property is below the “Target Rent” level.

In such an instance the net present value of an immediate increase to target rent for the adapted/extended property (with the agreement of the tenant) will be capitalised using the Society’s current development interest rate criteria.

The additional cash-flow can only be used from the date of the increase to the date when “Target Rent” for the property would have been achieved.

Where there is a shortfall between the cost of work and the net present value of the rent increase, or the rent for the property is already at or above “Target Rent”, the Society will:

• Liaise with the local authority to see if this can be met through grant or by a different property being provided through the strategic housing role.
• Refer the tenant to the relevant statutory agency who may be able to assist by way of direct grant or negotiation with charitable sources who may be able to provide funding.
• Liaise with the tenant to see if a transfer within the Society’s own stock would resolve the need.

New Developments

In order to ensure that the Society’s properties meet the needs of people with disabilities whether physical, mental or sensory, without the need to carry out adaptations at a later stage, the design of new properties will normally meet basic mobility criteria and lifetime homes standards.

The Society will take account of identified need for accommodation designed to meet special needs and will include a proportion of such properties within new developments, as appropriate, following consultation with the relevant agencies.

Sheltered Accommodation

Sheltered Housing is designed to meet the needs of elderly people who would benefit from a more secure environment but who nevertheless wish to lead an independent life. The Society owns various categories of purpose built schemes for renting. A Scheme Manager is responsible for the tenants living on their scheme and for monitoring their ability to live independently and offers support as well as carrying out a daily visit. If a Scheme Manager feels that a tenant is having problems coping they should notify their line manager and involve the tenant’s family or other agencies as appropriate to provide assistance. This type of accommodation has a supporting people charge attached to it.

Alarm Network

The Society’s Sheltered Housing Schemes, and a number of elderly persons’ blocks of flats and bungalows, have equipment installed which enables tenants to make a call to obtain assistance. Elderly and disabled people living in individual dwellings can have a telephone alarm unit. The Society currently has a contract for the alarm equipment with Hereford Unitary Council. This service is kept under constant review and monitored so as to best meet the needs of our customers.

Allocation of Properties

When vacancies occur in properties managed by the Society 75% of those vacancies will be offered to the Local Authority for them to nominate applicants from the Common Housing Register. The remaining 25% of vacancies will be allocated from the Society’s waiting list. On some new sites 100% of the vacancies may be passed to the Local Authority. Also in some areas where planning restrictions exist S106 agreements may be in place in which case only applicants with a local connection to the area may be offered the vacancy. Properties will be filled by those transfers and housing register applicants who have the highest need and priority for housing following a points based system operated by the Society. In making an allocation the Society will liaise with relevant agencies to ensure that the most appropriate allocation is achieved and that best use is made of void stock.

Priorities

The Society will keep the use of its special needs accommodation under constant review in order to ensure that it continues to meet the requirements of those with the highest priority for housing.

To achieve this objective the Society will liaise and consult with the relevant statutory and voluntary bodies, to identify the trends in respect of need, and also the specific requirements of individuals.

The Society will ensure that it collects and produces comprehensive information about the numbers and type of its special needs accommodation by area and the means of assessing it, in order that individuals and agencies are aware of the options available.

The Society will ensure that its services are designed and managed in order to access any external funding that may become available from statutory agencies.

Other Groups with special needs

Where applicants and existing tenants, for example those aged between 16 and 25, are identified as vulnerable and needing support when housed, the Society will carry out sensitive allocations and involve other organisations such as TYSH and funded associations such as Bromford as well as agencies such as Social Services by referring such applicants to those agencies for support.

Access to Information

The Society provides an information pack for its Sheltered Housing Schemes in the form of a series of separate pamphlets. A booklet “Sheltered Housing” provides general advice to tenants including the duties of the Scheme Manager.

Responsibility

The Executive Director is responsible for the effective implementation of this policy. The Director will also be for ensuring that all staff involved in the selection of tenants and the management of special needs accommodation (except where this managed by a recognised organisation) are adequately trained in the Society’s procedures. In the case of sheltered accommodation the Elderly Persons Officer will ensure that the Scheme Managers Handbook is regularly updated in line with current best practice and current legislation and that policies and procedures are followed by the relevant staff.

Consultation

The Society will consult on a regular basis with residents, the local authority and other appropriate agencies in order to continually develop good practice in this policy area.

Review

The Executive Director will carry out a review of such accommodation directly managed by the Society on a regular basis, with reports on void levels and lettings made to the Management Board in standard form.

Equal Opportunities

This policy shall have regard to the Society’s Equal Opportunities and BME policies and to all existing legislation covering Equal Opportunities, BME and Disability Discrimination.