Housing for people with extra needs

Supported living or independent living is for people who need some additional support to enable them to live independently in their own home.

A supported living scheme is a group of homes that provide tailored support to help people with extra needs live as independently as posssible.

There are different types of schemes:
- shared houses where you have you own room and share communal areas like bathrooms and kitchens.
- some schemes provide you with your own flat

- some schemes provide you with a room in somebody's home

- some schemes have extra rooms so that staff can stay over if they need to.

Contact Reach Floating Support for more information. 

You can apply for supported living housing through the Bath and North East Somerset Housing Support Gateway for a wide range of support services to help you to live independently, to remain in your own home or to avoid homelessness.

You can have support to help you live independently. This could mean you are supported for a few hours a week, every day, overnight or even 24 hours a day.

A support plan will be carefully put together to make sure you get what you need.

This might be things like help with shopping and cooking. It might be that you need someone to sleep over.

Specially trained support workers will help provide the support you need and there is a 24 hour contact line.

You can apply for supported living housing through the Bath and North East Somerset Housing Support Gateway for a wide range of support services to help you to live independently, to remain in your own home or to avoid homelessness.

Yes. The Bath and North East Somerset Housing Support Gateway provides a single point where you can apply for a wide range of support services to help you to live independently, to remain in your own home or to avoid homelessness. If you just need help to find somewhere to live please contact the Housing Team.

Yes supported housing is also provided for people with mental health problems.  Talk to your social care worker (if you have one) about housing or find details of the various housing schemes in the Directory of Supporting People Services or contact Reach Floating Support. Find out more about services to support people with mental health issues to live as independently as possible here.

You can apply for supported living housing through the Bath and North East Somerset Housing Support Gateway for a wide range of support services to help you to live independently, to remain in your own home or to avoid homelessness.

You can apply for supported living housing through the Bath and North East Somerset Housing Support Gateway for a wide range of support services to help you to live independently, to remain in your own home or to avoid homelessness.

Renting social housing
Renting social housing is a more secure way of renting and the cost of rent is more affordable than private renting. The downside is that you may have to wait to get a home.

These days, social housing to rent in Bath and North East Somerset is owned by registered landlords and housing associations. You can apply to go on the Council’s Homesearch register. Ask your care manager to help you apply or call the Homesearch team on 01225 396118 or email homesearch@bathnes.gov.uk for help completing the form. Make sure you let the Homesearch team know of any special adaptations you might need in your home.

Find out more about homesearch.

Private rented housing
There is a lot of private rented housing available on Bath and North East Somerset. The benefit of private housing is that there are often a number of options to choose from and there is no waiting list. The downside of private renting is that you may not be able to stay there for a long time, the cost of renting is higher than for social housing and you may have to pay a lot of money when you move in. You can find out what is available by going to estate agents, or looking in the local newspaper or online.

To find out more about renting private or social housing call the Bath & North East Somerset Housing Options and Advice Team on 01225 396296 or email housing@bathnes.gov.uk

Or, call Swan Housing Advice on 01761 432445 or email swanhousing@btconnect.com

In some cases housing benefit will pay the rent. It will depend on how much you have in savings and how much you earn. If you get housing benefit you may also be able to get some of your council tax paid for you. Call Bath & North East Somerset Council housing benefit team on 01225 477777 for more information.

Bristol Credit Union also provides affordable loans to help you pay a deposit once you have found a place to rent.

Find out about the homefinder scheme which provides financial support to help prevent homelessness.

You can apply for supported living housing through the Bath and North East Somerset Housing Support Gateway for a wide range of support services to help you to live independently, to remain in your own home or to avoid homelessness.

Visit our page on paying for care and support or call our Client Finance Team on 01225 396370 to get help or to find out more.

Buying your own home means long term security but it is a bigger responsibility.

You can buy part of a home and rent the rest from a housing association. This is called shared ownership. You can borrow money to buy your part with a mortgage. You may be able to get housing benefit to pay the rent and service charge to the housing association.

The service charge covers the cost of any repairs.

Find out more
Advance Housing specialises in home ownership for people with learning disabilities. Call them on 01993 709221 or email homeownership@advanceuk.org 

My Safe Home specialise in mortgages for people with disabilities or support needs. Call them on 08000 121333

If you are looking to rent social housing there are lots of people waiting for homes so you may have to wait. If your need for housing becomes more urgent, do tell your care manager or call the Bath & North East Somerset Housing Options and Advice Team on 01225 396296, email housing@bathnes.gov.uk or drop into one of our One Stop Shops in Bath, Keynsham or Midsomer Norton. With private renting, you just have to wait until something suitable for you comes up.

If you want to buy a home, this can take a few months to find a home, set up the finance and do all the legal paperwork.   

You may want to think about staying in your family home and it is worth getting some advice to set this up formally.

If your family owns their home, get some legal advice about how to arrange this.

If your family rents from a registered landlord or housing association, it might be possible for the tenancy to be passed on to you.

For more information, call Bath & North East Somerset Housing Options and Advice Team on 01225 396296.

Call SWAN – housing advice on 01761 432445 or visit your local One Stop Shop in Bath, Keynsham or Midsomer Norton. 

If your family wishes to leave you money or a property, it is a good idea to set up a discretionary trust. An important feature of this is that anything put in trust does not usually affect your access to welfare benefits.

Visit our legal advice page to find out more.

Or, contact Mencap Wills and Trust team on 020 7696 6925 or email willsandtrusts@mencap.org.uk

Contact the Housing & Support Alliance on 0845 4561497

If you are already receiving care and support, talk to your social care worker about housing. If you are have not yet spoken to anyone about your care and support needs, find out how to get information and advice.

The Bath and North East Somerset Housing Support Gateway provides a single point where you can apply for a wide range of support services to help you to live independently, to remain in your own home or to avoid homelessness. If you just need help to find somewhere to live please contact the Housing Team.

To be offered a Gateway service you must:

• live in Bath and North East Somerset and
• need supported housing or home based ‘floating’ support or
• Be at risk of becoming homeless or more vulnerable without support from a Gateway service

Find out more about paying for care and support.

Find details of the various housing schemes and support for independend living in Bath & North East Somerset in the Directory of Supporting People Services.

Read this Bath & North East Somerset guide to housing for people with learning difficulties

If you have autistic spectrum condition you can get one to one support to help with applying for housing from BASS

You may want an advocate to help you decide and access the services you need.

Call Bath & North East Somerset Housing Options and Advice Team on 01225 396296.

Call SWAN – housing advice on 01761 432445 or visit your local One Stop Shop in Bath, Keynsham or Midsomer Norton.

Advance Housing specialises in home ownership for people with learning disabilities. Call them on 01993 709221 or email homeownership@advanceuk.org 

My Safe Home specialises in mortgages for people with disabilities or support needs. Call them on 08000 121333.

Call the Housing & Support Alliance on 0845 4561497