Frequently Asked Questions on Sheltered Housing

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Sheltered housing offers the privacy of your own front door with the added security of an alarm service and a Scheme Manager for help and support. It also offers the choice of sharing a wider social life through a range of social events.

Extra care housing is similar to sheltered housing but with flexible, individually tailored packages of care and support provided on site 24 hours a day. The Extra Care Scheme is based at Fountain Court.

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Not at all. Each resident has his/her own private dwelling and is able to come and go as they please. You are encouraged to maintain your independence. Privacy is respected at all times.

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We want you to enjoy your homes in peace and comfort and free from nuisance. You must abide by the terms of your tenancy agreement and any rules on the individual sheltered schemes. Communal areas are managed by the Scheme Manager and are subject to the Council's health and safety legislation. Every resident is encouraged to have a say in how the schemes are run. All suggestions are welcome and meetings are held for you to join in and take part in discussions. You also have the right to be consulted on a number of matters including managing, maintaining and improving your home.

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Self-contained bedsits: The facilities vary from scheme to scheme. For more detailed information contact the Sheltered Housing office on 020 8439 7742.

Self contained flats/studios: The facilities vary from scheme to scheme. For more detailed information contact the Sheltered Housing office on 020 8439 7742..

The flats are designed for either one or two people. All flats and bedsits are linked to a central control alarm system providing 24 hour back up cover and have a Scheme Manager for support and assistance. Other features may include smoke alarms, a door entry system and CCTV.

All our sheltered schemes are often set in attractive gardens close to shops and local amenities. Doors are wide enough to accommodate a walking frame and some flats have been specially adapted for wheelchair access or mobility problems.

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People decide to move in to this type of housing for a number of reasons, for example, they may wish to move from a larger family home to smaller properties that are easier to maintain but still offer a high level of independence.

Sheltered housing offers residents the chance to live in a community environment with facilities that suit their needs, near local amenities but still retain their own front door and privacy.

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In order to help residents settle in and maintain independence, the Scheme Manager talks to new residents about their personal needs within a 'support plan'. This confidential agreement is regularly updated as circumstances change.

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With prior permission from us, you may keep fish in tanks, small caged birds or small caged rodents at your home. You are not allowed to keep cats, dogs or other large animals/pets at the property except in exceptional circumstances and at our discretion (for example a guide dog or hearing dog).

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Anyone who is 55 or over can apply to be considered for sheltered housing. Generally you must be able to live fairly independently. However, if you are a little less mobile, then we can help arrange support services.

You need to contact our Allocations Department and ask for an application form. Alternatively you can download one from this page - see related documents below.

Once Allocations have registered your application form they will pass your details on to the Older People's Housing Department who will contact you to make an appointment to assess your requirements. This usually takes four weeks. If you qualify you will then be able to start bidding on a property.

This service gives applicants on the Kingston Housing Register more choice when looking for a home to rent in the borough. Each week, we advertise social housing available to rent in the borough. You can 'express an interest' in being offered any advertised homes you are eligible for by making a 'bid' for them. The size and type of property you can select from will depend on the needs and size of your household, together with the letting criteria set for each property. All advertisements clearly indicate the letting criteria so you won't be shortlisted if you fail to meet these.

This means making sure all the properties you place bids for are in an area you will consider living in. If you refuse a property due to its location, after bidding for it, we will consider this to have been a reasonable offer. If you are not sure where a property is, check its location on a local map, and, if possible, visit the street before bidding.

• CAT 1: Customers who use a wheelchair all the time
  
• CAT 2: Customers who need a property that is wheelchair accessible - but do not use a wheelchair all the time
  
• CAT 3: All customers with mobility difficulties who cannot manage a flight of stairs
  
• CAT 4: Customers with no mobility difficulties.

The mobility category for properties advertised is coded to match the mobility category awarded. You must use this information when registering your interest in available property and make sure the mobility category of the property advertised matches your assessed mobility category otherwise you may not be successful in recording your selection.

Although flexibility will be applied, generally:

• Properties coded CAT 1 will be restricted to customers with a CAT 1 mobility assessment.
• Properties coded CAT 2 will be restricted to customers with CAT 1 or 2 mobility assessments.
• Properties coded CAT 3 will be restricted to customers with CAT 1, 2 or 3 mobility assessments.
• Properties coded CAT 4 will be advertised without restrictions, however, if customers with CAT 1-3 bid for these properties they will not be given any extra priority during the shortlisting process.

If you see 'bids under consideration' against properties you have bid for, it just means that the short-listing is still in progress, and the successful bidder has not been selected yet. It doesn't mean that your own bid is being considered.

You can bid at any time between 12.01 am on Wednesday morning, and 11:59pm on Sunday night. Please note - it doesn't matter when you bid, it is your band and priority date that will determine your eventual position on the shortlist. However, bidding is usually quicker outside office hours.

The more areas that you are prepared to consider, then the sooner we are able to re-house you.  You may already be familiar with some sheltered schemes, but it's a good idea to find out about other schemes and what's on offer.

Please contact the Older People's Housing Office or your Scheme Manager for a copy of our brochure 'A guide to Sheltered Housing in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames'. This gives details of the sheltered schemes available, their location, nearby shops, leisure amenities and local services. You can also download a copy from this page - see related documents below.

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Our schemes have been designed with older but independent residents in mind.

The following are available for the convenience and comfort of residents:

• a Scheme Manager for advice and support
• 24-hour alarm service for greater security
• central heating and hot water
• concessionary TV licence (where agreed by TV licensing)
• social activities
• residents' communal lounge and/or garden
• ramps, wider doorways and lifts (where feasible)
• free laundry facilities
• visiting library
• treatment rooms

Each scheme has an experienced Scheme Manager. Scheme Managers work Monday to Thursday from 8.45am to 5.00pm, Friday from 8.45am to 4.45pm and are responsible for the management and security of the building, as well as the safety and welfare of residents.

All our sheltered housing schemes have a red emergency pull cord and are linked to the Scheme Manager or to a Central Control Centre providing 24 hour cover. If an emergency arises when your Scheme Manager is off duty, the Central Control Centre will call the out of hours duty officer who will contact you or come to your aid.

The out of hours duty officer will contact your relatives, doctors or other professional for help if necessary. Out of hours duty officers, who are qualified, are able to give basic first aid but are not allowed to administer medication.

Our schemes offer a range of security features which may include door entry systems, security cameras (CCTV) and smoke alarms.

The modern alarm system fitted in each flat and communal room allows residents to speak directly to a Central Control Officer during an emergency such as a fall, and will alert the out of hours duty officer to attend.

The communal lounge is available to all residents for social and recreational activities. Residents can arrange activities on their own or with help from the Scheme Manager.

Friends and family are welcome to stay in the guest rooms for a very reasonable nightly rate, where available.

Many schemes benefit from a concessionary licence. If you are over 75 years old you don't have to pay for a TV licence.

Residents are welcome to help with the gardening. Some of our existing residents have entered and won various community gardening competitions over the years.

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It pays for

• your accommodation
• use of all communal facilities and support services provided by the Scheme Manager.

This includes a daily visit from the Scheme Manager, 24 hour emergency service and encouragement and support given through various agencies to help you live independently in your home. The level of additional support and activities varies with each sheltered scheme.

When you sign up for your tenancy a plastic swipecard will be ordered. This may take up to 10 days to arrive. You will need this to make payments to your rent account at a:

• Post Office
• Payzone

• By direct debit or Standing Order
  
• By Debit or Credit Card: Charges apply by credit card. Use the automated telephone service on 0845 1111. if there is a problem with the automated service phone 020 8547 5617/8 between 9.30am and 4.30pm.
  
• Online at www.kingston.gov.uk - this is a 24 hour service, 7 days a week - see related link below.
  
• Telephone/Online Banking with your own Bank: You can make a payment using the telephone or personal computer banking services offered by your own bank or building society.
  
• By post: You can send a cheque or postal order made payable to The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames quoting your account number and name and address on the back, to us at the Customer Contact Centre, Guildhall 2, High Street, Kingston KT1 1EU.
  Post dated cheques are not accepted.
  
• From your salary: If you work for usl you can ask the Rent Accounting Team to arrange for your rent to be taken out of your salary.
  
• From your pension: If you have a council pension you can ask for the rent to be taken out of your pension.

If you wish to make enquiries on your own without involving the Scheme Manager and your only income is your state pension, you should contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to enquire if you are entitled to income support - see related links below.

If you have other sources of income and savings you should first contact:

Revenues and Benefits
Guildhall 2
Kingston upon Thames
KT1 1EU
Telephone: 020 8547 5001
Email: Benefits@rbk.kingston.gov.uk

and

The Pension Service
3 Brook Street
Kingston upon Thames
KT1 2EY
Telephone: 020 8481 3087

The rules on income support and welfare rights change frequently, so if the Scheme Manager is unable to help you, you should contact the local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) for advice.

Housing and Council Tax Benefits are means-tested national welfare benefits to help those on a low income pay their rent and Council Tax. Means-tested means that the benefit you qualify for depends on your household income and circumstances.

You can claim Housing Benefit if you pay rent to:

• the Council
• a housing association or
• a private landlord.

You can claim Council Tax Benefit if you are the person who is liable to pay Council Tax. You can claim Council Tax Benefit whether you rent or own your home, or live rent-free, and it does not matter if you already get a discount on your Council Tax, for example if you live alone.

The amount of Housing and Council Tax Benefit you would qualify for depends on:

• your income (and that of your partner if you have one)
• your personal circumstances
• if any other adults (apart from partners) live with you
• the amount of rent and Council Tax you pay.

The support charge funds the costs of providing a dedicated Scheme Manager as well as other services that are not covered by the basic rent.

If you are entitled to Housing Benefit, you will be exempt from this charge. If you do not qualify for Housing Benefit, you are entitled to apply for a financial 'Fairer Charging Assessment' (Financial Assessment form) by Community Care Services. This may mean you only have to pay a proportion of the support charge.

For further information, please speak to your Scheme Manager or contact Community Care Services on 020 8547 5005.

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If you decide to move into sheltered housing, when you sign up you will be given a Tenants Information Pack. In this pack is a range of booklets containing useful information about your tenancy, one of which 'Living in Sheltered Housing' explains your rights and responsibilities as a sheltered housing tenant - see related link below. Alternatively you can download a copy of the booklet in pdf format.

If you are moving from general needs housing into sheltered housing you will continue to keep your secure or assured tenancy and this would also apply if you were transfering from one sheltered scheme to another. Only if you are a new tenant moving into sheltered will your tenancy be an 'introductory tenancy' which after 12 months will normally then become a 'secure' tenancy.

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All sheltered housing schemes in the borough meet the strict requirements of the fire brigade, such as installing fire retardant doors and smoke alarms.

Where appropriate, there is a fire alarm system and equipment provided for emergency fire fighting.

Our safety officer regularly inspects all schemes to ensure that there are no safety hazards within the accommodation and that fire safety equipment and alarms are working properly.

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We insure the structure of your council home but not the contents. Some of our tenants still don't have any contents insurance or think it is the Council that is responsible for insuring their belongings. This is not the case.

Every household is responsible for insuring their own possessions for example insuring furniture, carpets and personal possessions against lost, theft, fire, flood and other damage.

We have our own insurance scheme.  Our scheme allows you to spread the cost of paying your insurance premium in monthly or annual instalments. Payments can be made monthly at the Post Office, or monthly/annually by direct debit. For more information and an application form go to the related link 'Home Contents Insurance for Council Tenants and Leaseholders'.

Alternatively the Scheme Manager can advise you of where you can get information about other home contents insurance policies.

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