Accessing Our Services
Emily Gardens Young Families Scheme,
Braeburn Close, Cheltenham
Service
Description
Emily Gardens offers short-term accommodation for up to 2 years with
low level housing related support to families with support needs who
are homeless of threatened with homelessness, aged between 16 and
25 years old.
There are seven self-contained two bedroom flats on the scheme.
Each self-contained flat is partly furnished with carpets and white
goods. Customers have use of communal gardens and a playroom.
Customers who have poor mobility or are wheelchair users, may have
difficulity in accessing the first floor properties at the scheme,
however, ground floor properties can be adapted to suit mobility and
physical needs.
There is a resource flat on site from which Support Workers are based
Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm.
The support is funded through Supporting People. The aim of the
Supporting People Programme is to provide housing-related support
that enables people to move to independent housing or to assist them
in maintaining independent living.
The housing related support delivered at this scheme consists of:
Advice and support on repair work / home improvement work
Liaison with statutory and voluntary services
Culture-specific housing related support
Help finding move on or alternative suitable accommodation
Help maintaining the safety and security of the dwelling
Help in setting up and maintaining home or tenancy
Facilitating social interaction and overcoming social isolation
Signposting to culture specific health/ treatment services
Signposting to specific legal services
Help in managing finances and benefit claims
Signposting to local community organisations
Supervision and monitoring of health and well being
All of the flats at Emily Gardens are let on a single or joint Assured
Shorthold Tenancy, which customers are required to sign at the start
of their stay at the scheme.
Assured Shorthold Tenancies (AST)
The AST has a specific end date, usually after six months, but can run
on as a periodic assured shorthold once the fixed term has ended. We
do not ask people to leave once the fixed term is up provided the
customer is maintaining the terms of the agreement. AST’s are
usually given to customers due to the short-term nature or shared
accommodation available. Offering an AST also allows us to manage
the needs and risks of our vulnerable customers more effectively.
Eligibility
Criteria
We do not apply blanket exclusions for our services. Each application
is considered on a case-by-case basis.
However, where the needs and risk assessment identifies higher
support needs that can not be met through the service or where the
person falls outside the eligibility criteria exclusion may apply.
We consider a part of our role is to signpost applicants we are unable
to support to more suitable services to meet their needs.
All applicants should be referred from the Housing Options
Department at Cheltenham Borough Council having been assessed as
in need of housing and support.
Applicants should be:
Aged between 16 & 29 years old
Have been assessed as ‘in need’ of housing and support by
Cheltenham BC Housing Options Team
Vulnerable parents – singles or couples – either expecting a
child or already with children under school age.
Homeless, threatened with homelessness, or seeking to
move to receive support or part of a resettlement
programme
Normally have a ‘local connection’ to Cheltenham
Able to evidence one or more housing related support needs
Willing to engage in a programme of support provided by
Bromford Support
‘Vulnerable’ is taken to mean people who have particular difficulty in
living independently without support, because of social circumstances,
external pressures, or personal factors, which may limit their ability to
cope. All 16/17 year olds and young people leaving care, for the
purposes of the scheme, will be considered as “vulnerable”.
Nomination
Agreements
There is no formal nominations agreement in place.
The scheme is exempt from the Countywide Choice Based Lettings
System.
All nominations are made through Cheltenham Borough Council
Housing Options Team.
Referral
Routes
All referrals to this service should be made by Cheltenham Borough
Council’s Housing Options Team. Applicants are therefore required to
contact the Housing Options Team who will conduct a housing needs
assessment.
If an applicant meets the criteria for the scheme. The Housing Options
Team will refer the applicant using the Bromford Support Referral
Form.
All applicants will be contacted within 5 working days of receipt of the
nomination and invited to attend an assessment of needs interview
with a Support Worker, which is a central part of the support process.
Needs & Risk
Assessment
Initial contact will be made with the applicant to establish a suitable
date, time and venue for the assessment to take place.
During the initial contact the Support Worker will establish if the
applicant has any special requirements e.g. will an interpreter be
needed, would they prefer a male / female worker. The necessary
arrangements can then be put in place prior to the assessment
interview.
Applicants are usually invited to attend the assessment interview at
the scheme; however Support Workers can travel to alternative
venues if required. We encourage applicants to have an informal visit
to the scheme prior to the assessment interview.
Applicants are welcome to bring someone to support them during the
interview; this may be a professional, friend, family member or
advocate. Wherever possible it is good practice for Bromford Support
to carry out a joint assessment and invite someone who is already
involved in the applicants support or care along to the assessment.
The aim of the assessment process is to:
Meet with the applicant face to face to discuss the appropriate
support services
Answer any questions that the applicant may have about the
services or about the application
Provide the applicant with an understanding of what the support
scheme can (and cannot) provide. This is particularly important
if housing is provided as well as support
Offer the applicant an opportunity to become involved in
assessing their needs or support and/or housing
Assess the applicants current situation
Assess the applicants need for support and to start identifying
areas for a future Individual Support Plan/Action Plan
The assessment interview is conducted by the support worker and
would normally last no longer than 2 hours.
The applicant will be notified of the next stages following completion
of the assessment interview including timescales for a decision if
possible.
Where further 3rd party information is needed before a final decision is
made the applicant and referrer will be informed.
We aim to notify applicants and the referrer of the outcome within 3
working days.
Allocation
Where we have more than one application to consider for a vacancy at
Emily Gardens the final allocation decision will be based upon which
applicant has the highest priority housing need. This decision will be
made jointly between the Bromford Support Service Manager, Support
Worker and Cheltenham Borough Council Housing Options Team.
Allocation decisions will take account of the need to maintain a
balance within the scheme of people with varying support needs and
of different ages.
We will confirm all decisions in writing both to the applicant and
referrer.
The letter will include:
For declined applications:
The reason for the decline/refusal
Signposting to another appropriate agency or back to referrer
The right to Appeal and the Appeals process
For accepted applicants:
Confirmation of acceptance and the date support will commence
The name of the allocated support worker and contact details
A formal offer of accommodation
For applications accepted onto the waiting list:
Confirmation of acceptance (Subject to no change in
circumstances)
Approximate waiting time or timescale of next contact from
Bromford Support
The waiting list is reviewed every 3 months or when a vacancy
occurs (whichever happens sooner)
Steering
Group
There is a Steering Group in operation for this service. The Steering
Group is made up of representatives from Bromford Support,
Supporting People, Cheltenham Borough Council Housing Options
Team, Children’s Services, Customers, Local Residents, Police and
other relevant local agencies.
The group meets every quarter formally but additional meetings can
be held if required in between.
The Group ensures that the selection and allocation procedures are
adhered to and oversees the scheme’s practices and its development.
Appeals
An applicant or referring agent has the right to appeal any decision we
make if it is felt we have not taken into account all relevant
information when making our decision or, if it is felt we have made our
decision unfairly.
Appeals can be made using our Complaints and Appeals Procedure.
In the first instance all appeals must be made to the Service Manager
outlining the grounds for the appeal.
Appeals should be submitted to:
Service Manager
Bromford Support
Emily Gardens
Braeburn Close
Cheltenham
GL51 7UH
Data
Protection
Tel: 01242 255433 / 07734 857075
Bromford Group recognises and respect a customer’s right to privacy
and to have information about them kept confidential.
Bromford Group is registered under the Data Protection Act 1989 and
will act in accordance with this Act at all times.
Contact
For more information on our service and how to
access our support please contact any member of
the team:
Tel:
01242 255433
Address:
Emily Gardens
Braeburn Close
Cheltenham
GL51 7UH