Housing Service

Supported Accommodation For Older People

There are many specialist services provided by East Ayrshire Council for older people. The main aim of the Council is to assist older people to remain living at home where this is at all possible. Many services can be provided to people in their current homes but for some older people a move to smaller or supported accommodation may be the better option.

What Is Supported Accommodation For Older People?

This is the term used by East Ayrshire Council to denote all kinds of accommodation designated as being for older people where there is some form of support or care service provided with the tenancy. There is a wide range of different types of supported accommodation, located throughout East Ayrshire.

Often called sheltered housing or amenity housing, the Council has produced an information booklet about supported accommodation for older people. It contains information on all the different kinds of supported accommodation for older people available throughout East Ayrshire. It can be obtained from any Housing or Social Work Office or you can down load a copy here

Supported Accommodation Information Booklet

Although very high levels of need for support and personal care services can be met in High Needs schemes it is sometimes the case that someone's particular needs would be better met by a move to a care home. If you think that such a move could be the best option, then you should contact East Ayrshire Council's Social Work services to discuss the situation further

How Much Will I Have To Pay For Supported Accommodation?

All the accommodation listed in our information booklet is rented either from East Ayrshire Council or a Housing Association. Apart from the rent there are often service charges that apply to the accommodation. Many service charges are eligible for Housing Benefit in the same way as the rent.

However, where a service charge is made for heating or lighting in a tenant's home, it is excluded from Housing Benefit and must be paid by the tenant.

You can get details of any rent and service charges due to be paid for a particular property from either the local Housing Office for East Ayrshire Council properties or in the case of Housing Association properties, from the relevant office.

All the supported accommodation listed in our information booklet has a support service that is charged for under the Council's non-residential services charging policy in the same way as the Council's Home Care services. Support service charges vary widely and are based on the cost of providing a particular service. Rebates are available based on people's individual circumstances.

You can ask for a financial assessment to be made of your possible liability to pay support charges before deciding to take up a supported tenancy by contacting the Supporting People Team on 01563-576747.

Applicants should be aware that all supported accommodation is excluded from the Right to Buy due to its designation as supported accommodation for older people.

How Do I Apply For Supported Accommodation?

If having read through the information booklet you think that a move to supported accommodation would be right for you the next step depends on whether or not you already have a housing application registered with us.

I already have a housing application registered. All you have to do is complete a Supported Accommodation Application Form as fully as possible and return it to the Council.

I do not have a housing application registered. You will need to complete an East Ayrshire Council Housing Application Form, ticking the ‘supported accommodation ‘box under house types requested. You will also need to complete the Supported Accommodation Application Form as fully as possible, returning both application forms to the Council.

Download Supported Accomodation Application Form (Supp1)

Request EAC Housing Application Form and Supported Accommodation Appliaction form online

What Happens Next?

An assessment will be carried out by Social Work that will look at your needs, over the full range of housing, health and social care requirements. A recommendation will be made as to the most suitable form of housing to meet your needs as well as an indication of the relative level of priority to be given to your application. All applications for supported housing are assessed on people's needs.

It is possible that you will be unable to be considered for a particular scheme that you want to live in as you do not require the services provided there.

Some Housing Associations accept nominations from the Council for vacancies that come up in their schemes, others operate their own direct waiting lists. You should ask for further details if a Housing Association scheme appears to offer what you need

List of Other Housing providers with Sheltered Housing availability

List of East Ayrshire Residental Homes

Where can I get an Application Form?

You can call into any housing office and pick up a form, or you can request a form to be sent out.

Find your nearest Local Housing Office