Arranging supported accommodation for your friend or relative can be tricky for multiple reasons. Even just making the decision about whether to choose this option over help at home or a care home can be tough, let alone then knowing how to begin making the arrangements.
To help, we explain a bit more about what supported accommodation is, what your options are and how to go about putting arrangements in place for the person you care for.
Supported accommodation, sometimes also known as supported living or assisted living, is when a place to live is combined with onsite care and support that can be accessed as and when it is required. Supported accommodation is usually set up especially around the care provided, so generally residents only live there because they need the help on offer. Supported accommodation is often seen as a good option for those people who don’t want or need to move into a residential care home yet, but also are struggling to cope at home and could benefit from having support available onsite whenever they do need help.
With supported accommodation, it is only the personal care provided (i.e. washing, food preparation, help with using the toilet) that is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This type of care must not be delivered by the housing owner or operator, otherwise it counts as a care home. Instead it must be delivered by a separate registered care agency, similar to the support you may hire to help at home.
Supported accommodation is usually only available on a rental basis with residents generally not being able to purchase the property they live in. Residents may live in their supported accommodation alone or they may share the property with one or two other people with a similar condition. Supported accommodation is either purpose-built or has been adapted so that is has the right equipment and alterations required to meet its residents’ needs. It is usually provided either by the local council, a charity or, more occasionally, a business.
There are a number of different types of supported accommodation available, the most common of which are discussed below. However, there are often considerable differences between individual providers within these categories, so we highly recommend finding out exactly what support is available at the specific places you are considering.
Sheltered housing is accommodation focused on enabling people to live as independently as possible, meaning there is usually only relatively low-level care available onsite. It is aimed at people who, on the whole, are able to support themselves, only needing occasional help or support. The assistance that is available in most sheltered housing usually includes a warden who may be offsite but is available 24 hours a day if there is an emergency, as well as enhanced security features like alarms in case a resident has a fall. Sheltered housing complexes are often made up of self-contained flats or bungalows. They usually have shared facilities that everyone in the complex can use, like a laundry, lounge and garden, and many also offer social activities and events for residents. Most sheltered housing is aimed at older people, usually those aged 55+, but there are some that are designed for younger people too. It is worth bearing in mind that many sheltered housing complexes have strict rules about keeping pets, and also may entail significant service charges.
Extra care housing is similar to sheltered housing, but with additional care options available. In extra care housing, there are usually support staff onsite 24 hours a day, 7 days a week who can provide services such as personal care, housework or meal preparation for residents. Most extra care housing schemes are relatively flexible as a resident’s needs change; when you move in, you do not have to take up all of the care options available, but can often add them on as and when they are required.
Close care housing is accommodation, usually a self-contained flat or bungalow, that is on the same site as a care home, but separate to it. The care home will provide the residents with all the support they require, including personal care. This type of housing can be the first step towards moving into the care home itself, but allowing the resident some additional independence while this is still possible. It can be a particularly good option if a couple would like to still live together, but they have different care needs.
Supported accommodation is much less common than either help at home or a care home, so it may not be an option for everyone. It is usually only offered by the local council in quite specific circumstances and if there is a nearby scheme that they think would be suitable for your friend or relative. If it is an option for the person you care for, you will likely hear about it following their needs assessment by the local authority. Take a look at our guide to ‘Needs assessments’ for further information about what these involve.
Even if supported accommodation is an option for your friend or relative, it is still a good idea to make sure it is the right choice for them. Here we cover some of the pros and cons of supported accommodation in comparison to help at home or a care home to allow you to decide whether it is best for the person you care for.
Compared to a care home, it is likely that supported accommodation would provide your friend or relative with a lot more flexibility and independence. It is also likely to be a considerably cheaper option. The downside is that, in supported accommodation, they would also receive far less care, assistance and monitoring. So it just depends on your friend or relative’s wants and needs, and whether they require the extra support of a care home or would like the additional independence of supported accommodation.
Compared to receiving help at home, moving to supported accommodation could be a safer and more comfortable option for the person you care for. It might put everyone’s mind at ease to have the reassurance that help and support is always close at hand should they need it. It can be a particularly good option if their current housing is no longer suitable for them, and cannot easily be adapted to meet their needs. Or it can also be a good choice if they are already keen to move from their current housing for other reasons, such as needing somewhere smaller and easier to look after, or somewhere that is closer to their friends and relatives.
In comparison to living at home, supported accommodation may provide either more or less independence for your friend or relative, depending on their circumstances. For instance, if they currently live by themselves and are used to having complete freedom to do what they want, when they want, then supported accommodation may feel like they are giving up some of their freedom. However, if they are a young person with a learning disability who is currently living at home with their parents, for instance, moving into supported accommodation can represent a move towards greater freedom for them, whilst still having the reassurance that there is the support there that they need. They may even be able to move in with their friends too.
It is good to remember that everyone has their own individual wants and needs that should be considered. Before making any decisions, it is worth speaking to the person you care for about what they would like to happen, if possible. Don’t assume you know what they would like, as they may surprise you.
After speaking to the person you care for, you may decide together that supported accommodation is not quite the right option for them. If so, take a look at our guide ‘Future care planning’ for general advice about planning the next steps for their care.
In order to arrange supported accommodation for your friend or relative, the best starting point is to get them a needs assessment through their local council. This will allow the local authority to assess exactly what care your friend or relative requires, and what options are open to them. The assessment will also determine whether they are eligible for financial assistance with their care, depending on a number of factors including what their needs are and their financial position. Take a look at our guides ‘Getting local council funding for care costs’ and ‘Needs assessments’ for further information.
Following this assessment, if it is decided that your friend or relative can have their needs met by supported accommodation, that there is an appropriate provider nearby and that they are eligible for financial support from the council, the local authority will provide them with a care plan in writing. This sets out what they have identified as your friend or relative’s needs, how these will be met and how much funding they have allocated to cover these needs, which is known as their ‘personal budget’. Once this is in place, if you like, you can choose for the local council to manage this budget on their behalf and make all of the arrangements for your friend or relative’s supported accommodation for them. Or alternatively you can opt to receive what is known as ‘direct payments’, where you or your friend or relative receive the funding and make all of the arrangements yourselves. For more details about these options, including the pros and cons of both, take a look at our guide ‘Personal budgets and direct payments’.
Even if the local council is not able to provide your friend or relative with assistance, they may be able to access other forms of financial help towards their supported accommodation. For instance, if they are otherwise eligible, your friend or relative will usually be able to claim Housing Benefit or Universal Credit towards their housing costs in supported accommodation because they have a tenancy agreement or license. This is different to a care home, where they would be unable to claim this support.
Furthermore, some supported accommodation counts as what is known as ‘Exempt Accommodation’ or ‘Specified Accommodation’ meaning that the rules that normally limit the amount of rent that can be covered by these benefits do not apply. To find out more about claiming benefits, take a look at our guide ‘Checking the benefits you can claim’.
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