Criteria for Sheltered Housing tenancy and Decanting to Residential or Nursing Home Accommodation

Sheltered Housing should not be used as a facilitator for normal housing. It is a specialist area having peculiar characteristics that requires differing needs to Supported and General needs housing.

Tenants can expect a high standard of support in form of a Sheltered Housing Officer (SHO) team that will make daily contact with the tenant.

Criteria for Sheltered Housing
Prospective tenants must:

1. Be of retirement age or in receipt of benefits if under retirement age.
2. Be capable of basic self care as: feeding, independent mobility, independent toileting and not require night care assistance.
3. Applicants requiring greater care levels than Sheltered Housing provision will only be considered for tenancies if their care needs can be readily met by external agencies (see moving - on criteria) and that such an offer of tenancy will not be detrimental to the client or place unnecessary strain on Sheltered Housing resources.
4. Have a genuine need of Sheltered Housing requiring the support of an SHO and emergency alarm system.

It is desirable that prospective tenants live or have relatives within the proximities of the Sheltered Housing.

This will be beneficial for emotional and practical support to the tenant.

Moving - on Criteria
Tenants requiring a greater care input than can be provided by the Sheltered Housing Officer will have undergone external agency input before being beyond the care of Sheltered Housing.

Agency input is as follow:
The SHO will contact the GP to visit the tenant.

Social Service will be notified if the tenant has debilitated or deteriorated in health. The SHO will request an occupational health assessment from Social Services with a view to increase mobility by providing aids or adaptations such as 'helping hand', walking frames etc., provide meals on wheels or provide a package of care. The package of care will depend upon the tenants needs and Social Services' own criteria to assist daily living without detriment to the tenant's health.

A CPN (Community Psychiatric Nurse) may be requested following consultation with the GP should the need arise. This request will facilitate an assessment by the CPN with a view to regular visit or further consultation with the GP and Mental Health Team.

Moving - On
A tenant will only have to move to further care should the external agency input be sufficient to meet their needs and requirements. In this event the GP will be notified by the SHO that the care input is not enough and the tenant required further assistance to cope with daily living. Some events may precede the GP being contacted, such as the tenant debilitating sufficiently to warrant immediate medical attention.

The role of the SHO is progressively moving to one of a holistic approach, encompassing estate management of one or more schemes on a daily basis. The SHO is trained to deal with rent enquiries, benefit applications and agency referrals. The Officer has an extensive knowledge of tenant needs and requirements and is the first point of contact for the tenant in dealing with all scheme and tenant issues such as repairs, maintenance and liaison with Social Services, Hospitals and Surgeries, as to provide as much independent living as possible to enable the tenant to remain in their flat within Sheltered Housing.