Accommodation
You may choose to:
- Manage your own accommodation without support
- Share your home with family or friends
- Live in your own home with support
- Live in shared accommodation with support
- Stay in specialist 24-hr support accommodation
- Stay in hospital
Everybody's housing needs and choices are likely to change over time as their circumstances change. If you have a severe mental illness, you will have specific needs at certain times which is likely to mean you need some form of support. Then there will be periods of time when you would prefer to live independently, whether alone or with others. This may also be your ultimate goal in your recovery plan. There are different services and options for all these different stages and this section gives more information for each one.
- Manage your own home without support
- Share a home with family, a partner or friends
- Live in your own home with support
- Live in supported housing
- Stay in hospital
1: Manage your own home without support
What does this mean?
Independent living in your own or a rented property.
A recent Hafal survey of people with severe mental illness and their carers found that 47% of service users lived alone.
What can I do?
What do I need to know?
Living alone means you can be independent but it can be lonely. You will also have to do all the housework and maintenance yourself, and it is usually more expensive as you bear all the costs on your own. However, living alone can be peaceful and gives you a great deal of freedom.
Buying Your Home
This is the most expensive option but if you can afford it, you have more choice about where and how you live. You will be responsible for maintenance but have the freedom of living as you like and you will own the property.
A mortgage is a type of loan that is used to buy a house or a flat. It is arranged through a bank or building society and is 'secured' on the property bought. This means that you may lose your house or flat if you don't keep up the repayments or if you break any other terms of the mortgage. You will normally need to have a regular income to apply and the amount you borrow will depend on how much you earn. You will then have a large loan to pay back gradually over a number of years, usually 25 years.
It is important to:
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shop around for a mortgage
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check the independence of any advice you get
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work out how much you can afford to borrow
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act quickly if you start to fall behind with payments.
Link to money section for more information
See also: http://www.direct.gov.uk/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/ManagingMoney/Mortgages/fs/en
Buying with a Housing Assocation means you partly own your home while the Housing Association is the other part-owner. You will be able to buy a bigger share of your home as time goes by. Most people will still need a mortgage (link to above) to buy their share of the house or flat.
To buy a home this way you can either apply directly to the housing association or be nominated by your local authority. You will then join a waiting list, which can be very long in some areas. You will get higher priority if:
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you are homeless
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your current home is too small or unfit to live in
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you have a serious medical condition
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you need to be near your family.
Welsh Federation of Housing Associations web-site for details of housing associations in your area
Renting Your Home
Renting from a private landlord usually means you have greater choice over where you live but it is likely to be more expensive than renting from the council or a housing association. They often do not accept housing benefit and you will need to provide a deposit and at least one month's rent in advance in most cases.
Most tenancies last 6 or 12 months and the extent of your rights will depend on the type of tenancy you have. A brief outline of the different types can be found below but working out which applies to you is not always straightforward. If you are unsure or are having problems you will need to get advice from an organisation such as Shelter (http://www.sheltercymru.org.uk) or from your local Citizens Advice Centre (http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales.htm).
Regardless of the type of tenancy you have, you and your landlord will have some basic legal obligations such as:
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you must look after your accommodation
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your landlord must make sure things work that involve supply of water, gas, electricity, sanitation and heating for water and space
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your landlord must allow you to live in your home in peace
If you are a lodger, sharing your home with your landlord but not any living space (such as a kitchen or bathroom), then you are probably an occupier with basic protection. If you share your home and some living space with your landlord, you are probably an excluded occupier. Either of these give you only limited rights and you can be evicted easily.
If you do not share with the landlord, but have control over who enters your home and moved in after 27th February 1997, you will be an assured shorthold tenant. This means you have a legal right to live in your home for a period of time and you have the right to:
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information about your tenancy
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control your home so that you can stop other people from freely entering
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get some repairs done
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live in your accommodation unless your landlord gets a court order to evict you.
If you are in this situation but moved in before 27th February 1997 and your land-lord did not write to you that you would become an assured shorthold tenant, you will probably be an assured tenant which gives you more rights. As well as those outlined above, you can:
It is also more difficult to evict an assured tenant.
Any of the above can be a fixed term tenancy where you stay for a set period of time such as 6 months, or a periodic tenancy where it rolls on for a week or a month at a time.
On top of any obligations and rights you and your landlord have in law, you may sign a written tenancy agreement with your landlord which could include:
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both your names and the address of the property
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the rent - how often it is paid and how, and when it can be increased
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the length of the tenancy and how much notice either of you must give if you decide to end it.
It should be signed by you and your landlord, and you should both keep a copy. Although it is not law to have a written tenancy agreement, the landlord must give you his/her name and address. If you pay a deposit, ask for a receipt and make sure you have a record of the rent you pay, for example a rent book that the landlord signs each time you pay.
Renting a ‘council' house or flat from a Registered Social Landlord (RSL) is likely to be cheaper than from a private landlord, and there's no deposit to pay. Usually a local authority or a housing assocation, they also accept housing benefit but there are few places available and long waiting lists.
You will need to contact your local authority for an application form to go on the housing register, which may cover both local authority and housing association properties, or you can apply directly to the Housing Assocation. Housing is allocated according to need, so the priority given to your application will depend on your circumstances. You will get higher priority if:
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you are homeless
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your current home is too small or unfit to live in
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you have a serious medical condition
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you need to be near your family
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you have been in care.
You may be an introductory tenant, a secure tenant or a demoted tenant. Some councils put all their tenants on a one-year introductory tenancy when they start living in a council property. If you keep the terms of your tenancy agreement, you automatically become a secure tenant at the end of the year, although your landlord can extend the introductory tenancy for six months in some circumstances.
Most people are secure tenants on agreements with no end date. However, your tenancy may be changed to a demoted tenancy for a probationary period if your landlord believes you have engaged in anti-social behaviour.
Your rights vary depending on which tenancy you have, although any written tenancy agreement may give additional rights to those set out below. The major difference between them is the ease with which you can be evicted.
Introductory tenancy
The council can evict you more easily on this tenancy but must follow the proper procedure and give you at least four weeks written notice. You then have 14 days in which to ask for a review of their decision. The most likely reasons for evicting are:
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if you haven't paid the rent, or you have paid it late on a regular basis
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if you have caused nuisance to neighbours
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if you move out of your home and rent it to someone else.
Secure tenant
Tenants can only be evicted in certain circumstances, for example if the rent is not paid or there is damage to the property. The landlord has to go to court to prove that there is good reason to evict you.
You have the right to take in a lodger, get a transfer, exchange your home or buy it at a discount. You may also be able to pass on your tenancy, for example to a member of your family or your partner. You can enforce your rights without fear of eviction, for example getting repairs done, and you can carry out some repairs and improvements yourself. You should also be consulted on how your home is managed.
Demoted Tenancy
You can be evicted more easily on a demoted tenancy, which is a probationary period of a year. When your secure tenancy gets changed to a demoted tenancy, you will get letters from your landlord and the courts with information on your changed rights and the dates when it begins and ends.
Details of tenancy agreements and what they mean
http://www.homes.org.uk/ - homeswap scheme for council house tenants
Click on your Local Authority area for a link to the housing department:
Housing benefit
If you are on low or no income you may be entitled to housing benefit and council tax reductions from your local authority. For more information click here money (link to money section of our web-site)
http://www.direct.gov.uk - clearly laid out information on all kinds of benefits
Neighbour Disputes
In the UK, 1 in 5 people have exchanged "harsh" words with neighbours and 1 in 14 have reported neighbours to the Police.
If your neighbour(s)'s behaviour is upsetting you:
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take responsibility for sorting out the problem yourself though if you have a support worker it may be worth talking it over with them
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talk to them soon, before it blows up into a bigger dispute
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write to them if you or they get angry when you try talking
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get together with other neighbours if they are also affected
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find who their landlord is, if applicable, and complain to them (they can evict nuisance tenants, although they may choose not to take action)
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contact your local Environmental Health office if the problem is excessive noise (if the noise level is assessed as being a legal nuisance they can serve a notice asking for the noise to stop and prosecute if this is ignored)
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take legal action, but get impartial advice first (for example from your local Citizens Advice Centre)
If your neighbour(s) are complaining about you:
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keep your temper and listen to what they have to say
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contact mediation services for help (for example from Mediation UK)
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get the support of your support worker (if applicable) or some-one who knows you to help you resolve the situation
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keep your landlord informed if your neighbours threaten to contact them.
If you are afraid of your neighbours:
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the local authority can take action against anti-social behaviour even if none of the people concerned are renting from them
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report them to the police if they are committing criminal activity (for example assault, damage to property or deliberately intimidating or harrassing behaviour).
What happens in mediation?
Mediation involves independent and trained people visiting all those involved in the dispute and listening to what each person has to say. Anything said is treated as private and confidential. They will ask each person how they see the situation and what they think needs to be done to resolve it. If all agree, a joint meeting may take place where the mediators will make sure that everyone has their say and help you find a solution that you are all happy with. A written agreement can be signed although it will not be legally binding.
Citizen's Advice information sheet on dealing with neighbour disputes
www.mediationuk.org.uk - Independent, voluntary organisation providing mediation services in the UK. Mediation in neighbour disputes is usually free.
Maintaining your Home
If you own the house, you will be responsible for maintenance. To find tradespeople you trust:
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ask friends, family or your neighbours and visit previous jobs
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get written quotes
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draw up a written contract (you can download one free of charge from the Federation of Master Builders)
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check your builder's insurance status.
TrustMark is a scheme supported by Government, the building industry and consumer groups to help you find reliable tradespeople to make improvements and repairs to your home. This web-site allows you to search for reputable tradespeople in your area. You can also call them on 0845 404 0506.
If your home is in poor condition, you may be able to apply to your local council for a grant for repairs, particularly if you are elderly or disabled. Care & Repair Agencies provide help in the form of advice and information, helping to apply for grant assistance where needed, practical assistance in the form of carrying out repairs quickly, and passing on details of reputable builders.
Care and Repair Cymru. Visit this web-site to find your local care and repair agency.
If you are renting privately and your landlord refuses to carry out repairs, you can ask your local council to take action on your behalf or you can apply to the courts. It is a good idea to contact an advice agency such as the Citizen's Advice Bureau.
2: Share a home with family, a partner or friends
What does this mean?
Living with parents, other relatives, a partner or main carer.
A recent Hafal survey of people with severe mental illness and their carers found that 38% of service users lived with family.
What can I do?
You may have limited choice about where exactly you live as this will have to be decided with the people you share with. However, you may decide that the benefits of living with people rather than living alone, and having some-one who knows you provide any or some of the support you need, may outweigh the benefits of living independently.
What do I need to know?
Carer's Assessment
If someone you live with is providing a lot of the support you need to live at home, they can ask social services for a ‘carer's assessment'. They are entitled to this even if you don't have a service user's assessment.
A carer's assessment identifies their needs so they can support you. They can expect to be offered support for their caring responsibilities which could include having help with household tasks or support so they can take a break from their caring role, also known as ‘respite'.
Social services will also be able to put them in touch with other support organisations and they may be entitled to benefits such as the carers allowance and a council tax reduction.
http://www.direct.gov.uk information on benefits and support available to carers
http://www.wales.gov.uk/ information for carers in Wales from the Welsh Assembly. Includes list of organisations who may be able to offer support and details of carers rights.
3: Live in your own home with support
What does this mean?
Living in the housing of your choice with floating support from specialist professionals.
A recent Hafal survey of people with severe mental illness and their carers found that 47% of service users lived alone.
What can I do?
Accommodation: see managing your own housing
There are choices around the provision of any support you need to meet your health and social care needs. This may be one or a combination of the following:
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using your own finances or ‘direct payments' to buy in support
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having support provided by the social services of your local authority
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voluntary support services from a charity or voluntary organisation,
What do I need to know?
Supporting People
Under the ‘supporting people' initiative, support is provided to enable people to live independently and to maintain a tenancy or remain in their own home. This may be in addition to any support you have been assessed as needing to meet your health and social care needs. The sort of support depends on individual circumstances and could include:
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advice and assistance with budgeting and dealing with bills
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help developing cooking and cleaning skills
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advocacy and support to find other specialist help, for instance solicitors or drug and alcohol services.
Supporting People distributes money to local support providers, for example Registered Social Landlords, local authorities and voluntary organisations. It encourages these local providers to work together to provide high quality services enabling vulnerable people to live independently.
A list of local authority pages about provision of support services
A directory of service providers for the whole of the UK, including Wales.
4: Live in supported housing
What does this mean?
Sheltered, nursing or residential accommodation with support from specialist mental health professionals. This covers a large range of accommodation options where you live somewhere that gives you direct access to support. The intensity of the support given can range from specialist 24 hour supported accommodation, to low level support at specific times. The level of independence you have will also vary, as will your rights as a tenant.
A recent Hafal survey of people with severe mental illness and their carers found that 10% of service users lived in supported housing.
What can I do?
The availability of supported accommodation varies enormously across Wales so you will need to do some research to find what there is in your area. You could start with your community mental health team or local social services, or with our list of web-sites (link to section below). Staying somewhere that you feel you can call home is very important, so you may wish to consider issues such as independence and freedom of movement.
If you cannot afford to pay for this kind of care, a service users assessment will need to be carried out to access local authority funding. Contact your local social services department for information about getting an assessment.
What do I need to know?
This will be more expensive than other rented accommodation as it includes support and the length of your stay will be determined by how long you need the additional support.
There is often a waiting list for supported housing and it is likely that you will be interviewed before getting a place or you might have to get a referral from your community mental health team. If your accommodation in supported housing has been arranged by your local authority, they have responsibility to ensure you receive good standards of care. This applies even if they have contracted a private or voluntary organisation to provide the accommodation.
The tenancy agreement you sign may be the same as one you would sign for rented accommodation as outlined above, particularly if your accommodation is fairly independent. If not however, you will probably have a license or a special tenancy which takes into account the additional support you get. This means you have personal permission to live there rather than a legal right and you can be evicted more easily. However, the nature of these living arrangements is supportive so you are unlikely to end up in this position. If you do have problems with your tenancy, it is best to discuss it with your support worker first. Otherwise your local Shelter office or your local Citizens Advice Centre will be able to advise you on your legal rights.
http://www.allwalesunit.gov.uk/ list of local authority pages about provision of support services
http://www.allwalesunit.gov.uk/ for a list of providers of supported housing in Wales.
5: Stay in Hospital
What does this mean?
Specialist and trained support 24 hours a day, as an in-patient. The majority of people are here voluntarily but some attend under a formal arrangement using the Mental Health Act. This is also referred to as ‘being sectioned'.
What can I do?
It is unlikely that you will have any choice about which hospital you go to, especially if your admission takes place as an emergency. You will, as far as possible, be taken to the hospital nearest your home.
When you leave the hospital, you may choose to:
What do I need to know?
While you are dealing with a crisis, it is not easy to think about where you will live when you leave hospital but if you or some-one who regularly helps or supports you can get a couple of things done at this point, it will ensure that you can return to your home when you leave, if that is best for you.
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If you are receiving housing benefit, let the benefits office at your local authority know that you are going into hospital. This benefit is unlikely to be affected if you are in hospital for less than a year but you do need to let them know when you go in and when you come out.
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Make sure that your rent or mortgage continues to be paid while you're in hospital so you do not fall into arrears and risk eviction.
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Arrange for some-one to keep an eye on the house, to reduce the chances of break in and to keep it liveable for when you return.
Leaving Hospital
Before you leave hospital, your responsible medical officer should make sure that your health and social care needs are assessed, this includes your housing needs. The people who assess you should talk to you before they decide what support you should get and you should let people know what you think you will need. If a friend or relative regularly helps or supports you, they could also take part in these discussions.
The hospital discharge process should include:
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A written care plan that records these needs
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An assessment of your ability to pay for any services that are not provided free of charge
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Confirmation that any required services are in place in time for when you leave
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A system for monitoring and, if necessary, adjusting the care plan to meet any change in your needs.
Citizen's Advice Bureau factsheet on patients rights
Section 117
If you have been detained under the Mental Health Act, you have the legal right to any health and social care services that you have been assessed as needing when you leave hospital. This is also known as section 117 or the ‘duty of care'. You will not be charged for section 117 aftercare and it will remain in place until you no longer need these services. This can include your housing needs, especially if you need to stay in supported housing.
Your Responsible Medical Officer must organise a multi-disciplinary case conference to agree the after-care plan within six weeks of you being admitted into hospital under the Mental Health Act. There is also a statutory requirement to involve any friends or relatives that provide regular support, social services and the voluntary sector. Another case conference must take place before you leave hospital to make sure that all aspects of the care plan are in place, including your housing and support needs.
Homelessness
If you are at risk of being homeless at the time of leaving hospital, you should mention your housing needs as part of your care plan. You should not be discharged if you at risk of being homeless.
If however you end up in that situation and the local council agrees that you are homeless, they have a legal duty to house you. They will then provide you with emergency accommodation. They may offer a place in a B & B, in temporary council accommodation, with a housing association or with a private landlord. You will be allowed to stay in the temporary accommodation until you are able to move somewhere more permanent. This could be somewhere you find yourself. The council may offer you a permanent council tenancy (homeless people are given extra priority on waiting lists) or an assured tenancy with a housing association or a private landlord.
Further information can be found at:
www.sheltercymru.org.uk Shelter Cymru has caseworkers and solicitors who provide advice, advocacy and legal representation on housing related problems. Call Shelterline free on 0808 800 4444 for intitial or emergency housing advice.
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales.htm Citizen's Advice Bureau in Wales for information and advice on a wide range of issues including housing.
http://www.tpascymru.org.uk/ TPAS Cymru is a tenant participation organisation in Wales. Tenant participation means local people having a say in the decisions that affect their homes & communities.
http://www.cymorthcymru.org.uk/ Welsh organisation for supported housing
Download Hafal's Recovery Guide (PDF)
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