Support
The needs of each resident will differ, so support needs are identified using a Support Plan to determine what support is in place for the resident, and what support needs to be arranged and delivered/monitored thereafter.
This plan is put in place to ensure that the resident’s support needs are understood, defined and met by scheme staff and/or other agencies and service providers.
Category 1, 2 & 2.5 all scheme staff have basic training to identify & respond to sudden illness (such as strokes, UTI’s, dehydration, heart attack, diabetic hypo, unconsciousness etc) and accidents (such as falls, skin tears, electric shock etc).
However they are not fully first aid trained but are trained to identify signs and symptoms, and determine what initial action to take and who to contact in an emergency. PCC scheme staff attend basic training as needed to better understand certain illnesses/ailments common to older people such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, depression, incontinence, loneliness & substance misuse for example.
The Category 1 service
This will include the following:
- Unfurnished accommodation for people with support needs, in a variety of building types
- Pull cords situated in flats and communal areas to allow the resident to summon help quickly. The response will be from a dedicated Category 1 Sheltered Housing Support Officer during office hours, Monday to Friday (with the exception of bank holidays).
- At weekends/bank holidays and out of hours, calls for assistance are responded to by a Warden Call Alarm Receiving Centre who redirect to the appropriate responder and this could be:
- The Council’s Adult Social Care night responder service / Urgent Community Response Service
- The Council out of hours team
- GP services
- 999 Emergency services
- A Support Plan is completed with the resident which is reviewed at least annually and can be more frequent if the resident desires it or if their circumstances change
- Daily/ regular visits from scheme staff to ensure the wellbeing of the resident. Frequency of staff contact with resident must be no less than every 7 days.
- Support with household and domestic tasks such as shopping, cleaning and laundry can be arranged with other agencies.
- Access to and use of communal facilities available such as community rooms, lounges and laundry rooms, depending on the availability of these facilities within the building.
The Category 2 service
This will include the following:
- Specific unfurnished accommodation in the Leigh Park, Crookhorn and Wecock Farm area for people with support needs, there are no mixed schemes
- Dedicated on-site support during office hours Monday to Friday (with the exception of bank holidays). Generally this is a Scheme Manager and Support Assistants
- Pull cords situated in flats and communal areas to allow the resident to summon help quickly. The response will be from a dedicated category 2 Scheme Manager and/or Support Assistant, during office hours, Monday to Friday (with the exception of bank holidays).
- At weekends/bank holidays and out of hours, calls for assistance are responded to by a Warden Call Alarm Receiving Centre who redirect to the appropriate responder and this could be:
- The Council out of hours team
- GP services
- 999 Emergency services
- A Support Plan is completed with the resident which is reviewed at least annually and can be more frequent if the resident desires it or if their circumstances change
- Daily/regular visits from scheme staff to ensure the wellbeing of the resident. Frequency of staff contact with resident must be no less than every 7 days.
- Support with household and domestic tasks such as shopping, cleaning and laundry can be arranged with assistance from scheme staff and/or other agencies
- Use of communal facilities available such as gardens, lounges and laundry rooms
- Communal bath or shower facilities available.
The Category 2.5 service
This will include the following:
- Specific unfurnished accommodation for people with higher support needs, there are no mixed schemes
- Pull cords situated in flats and communal areas to allow the resident to summon help quickly, these are responded to within the scheme 24 hours a day 7 days a week
- NB – Each scheme provides a sleep in service between 22.00 – 07.00 and sleep in staff will respond to pull cords during this time. However, frequent and/or on-going planned visits by sleep in staff to residents throughout the night cannot be accommodated.
- A Support Plan performed with the resident which is reviewed at least annually and can be more frequent if the residents desires it or if their circumstances change
- Daily/ regular visits from scheme staff to ensure the wellbeing of the resident
- A heated meal is available in all category 2.5 schemes (there is a separate charge for this)
- Some schemes provide a communal breakfast/supper service which is arranged in response to demand for such a service (there is a separate charge for this)
- Support with domestic tasks and laundry can be arranged with assistance from scheme staff and/or other agencies
- Use of communal facilities available such as lounge, dining area and laundry room.
- Use of Parker baths and wet rooms are available to residents who have this requirement or require assisted bathing facilities.
Other housing related support provided in all Sheltered Housing categories
Scheme staff will assist residents with housing related support which could include:
- Support to read post and manage paperwork
- Support to make appointments and attend appointments with the resident if they are the right resource to do so
- Support to access services and clubs
- Financial support such as assistance to maximise their income, support to pay bills and accessing their own money
- Liaising with friends/family members, Social Care and Health services to ensure and maintain the wellbeing of residents
- Providing additional support when a resident is unwell or has fallen by increasing visits and/or providing additional short term help with domestic tasks, personal hygiene tasks, eating and drinking, emergency shopping and ensuring they have taken short term medication to help them get better
- Arranging and delivering scheme activities to reduce isolation and loneliness (there is a charge for some activities if delivered by an external provider)
This is not an exhaustive list of the housing related support provision available; we have a high number of residents with a variety of housing related support needs and so every request for support is taken on its merit. The right resource is then identified and arranged to provide the support requested or identified. The right resource may be scheme staff or it may be an appropriate agency or other service provider.
Please note – Scheme Managers have to organise daily service delivery and arrange daily and weekly staffing levels using their knowledge of the residents’ support needs within that scheme. We design our service provision around the support needs of our residents whilst still keeping in mind our scope of service. Therefore the level of demand for and support services offered will inevitably differ from scheme to scheme
