Housing with Support

Supporting independent living for people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities or mental health-related support needs.

What is Housing with Support?

Housing with Support is housing that is made available to people with disabilities together with an agreement to provide you with a support service.

What type of support does Ability provide?

The team provides support that promotes independent living, including:
- Assistance with learning independent living skills
- Advice and assistance with claiming welfare benefits and Housing Benefit
- Advice and assistance with budgeting and managing your bills
- Advice on aids and adaptations
- Assistance with reporting repairs to your home and managing your tenancy
- General counselling and support with day to day living
- Assistance with arranging personal care and contacting other agencies involved in your care and welfare.

The support will be tailored to your individual needs to assist you to manage your home and to develop the skills you will need to live independently. Our Housing Support Workers are specially trained to provide you with this type of support.

We regret that our Housing Support Workers cannot provide personal care directly, but can help and advise you with making suitable arrangements for your personal care.

Most of our Housing with Support is provided in self-contained flats or bungalows, although some of it will be in shared housing or studio apartments with some shared facilities. Each scheme is different and you will be provided with details of your local scheme when you apply.

Your Housing Support Worker will discuss your support needs with you and draw up a plan with you that sets out what support we will provide, and how and when that support will be delivered. The level of support can increase or decrease as your needs change.

How can I access Housing with Support?

You must register for housing with your local authority. You can apply directly to Ability or through your care manager, social worker or occupational therapist, but we will still advise you to register with your local authority.

Once you have registered with the local authority, you will need to tell them about your disability and why you think you need Housing with Support. You should ask them to nominate you to Ability.

Once you have been nominated to Ability, a Housing Support Worker will visit you to talk to you about the kind of housing that you need and about the support that you need.

Download our Housing with Support leaflet