SERVICE DESCRIPTION

The Support we offer our Residents

The aim of Niche CBS is to empower people with support needs to live independently by helping to improve their daily living skills and their ability to maintain an occupancy agreement.

Niche CBS properties consist of houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) with individual rooms alongside self-contained studios and one-bedroom flats as part of our main property, The Colonnades. Niche CBS offers an established pathway from our HMOs to more long-term supported accommodation for those residents who are able to maintain an occupancy agreement with appropriate support.

A housing support need is a requirement of us accepting a referral; potential residents may have experienced issues such as involvement in the criminal justice system, mental health, homelessness, relationship difficulties, learning needs or substance misuse, which have impacted their ability to keep a roof over their heads. Our goal is to work with each resident and develop the skills and resilience to grow their practical skills and to develop neighbourly behaviour, which will hopefully assist them in their journey towards full independent living in due course whenever possible.

Staff are on-site 5 days a week from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and available 24/7 via the emergency duty phone; we offer our residents a listening ear in times of trouble or motivation in moments of doubt. What we are not qualified to offer is formal counselling, intense mental health support, physical health support or personal care, or to administer medication. However, we could, for example, support a resident to organise a review with their GP or to arrange the collection/delivery of their prescribed medication and support them with setting up calendar prompts or other mechanisms to remind them to take their medication.

Many of our residents require input from other agencies such as CGL, ESTAR, probation, ASC or health services to address their specific needs whilst they are living in our housing - part of our role is to work in partnership with the wider professional network to assist residents to engage meaningfully and attend meetings and appointments to promote the best outcome for them.

Potential residents can be referred directly through the council or by a professional working with them. Alternatively, clients can self-refer using the referral form link themselves. Please ensure that as much information as possible is provided within the referral to assist us and Eastbourne Borough Council in understanding your needs and whether the service is right for you. As part of the application process potential residents will be invited to an interview with Niche CBS. If you would like to speak to someone before completing the referral you can contact the team on 01323 640292 (option 3).

Our Supported Living Services

We provide personalised support plans which may include, but are not restricted to, the following:

Bespoke weekly one-to-one support meetings tailored to individual needs
Access to onsite staff support during office hours plus out-of-hours emergency contact, staffed 24/7
Advice with benefits and support with form filling and contacting benefit agencies
Assistance in managing an occupancy agreement and integrating into the community
Helping a resident decide what sort of move-on accommodation they need, assisting them to apply and accompanying them to interviews with prospective landlords
Helping a resident deal with bills that are their responsibility
Mediating disputes between neighbours
Giving advice or signposting on dealing with the police/courts where this relates to housing matters
Advice to residents on aids and adaptations to their home
Training or education which is directly related to housing
Explaining how appliances work, over and above the initial explanation
Teaching life skills such as cooking, food preparation, food storage, ironing, etc. to a minimum level
Resettlement activities generally (while the resident is still in Niche CBS accommodation)
Supervising residents doing their own cleaning when required (and when accepted by the resident)
Advice about education and training
Assisting with basic I.T. tasks to get them online and access to benefits help
Help/Signposting for personal skills not related to housing
General 'light' support for emotional issues
Shopping and errand running in emergency situations (e.g. Covid)
Chatting with Service Users and guests
Good neighbour tasks, e.g. a welfare check to see if the resident is ok when not seen for over 48 hours
Arranging social events
To maintain, virus check and upgrade the public computers for service users.

Outcomes of Support

Residents are enabled to:

Maximise/maintain independence
Achieve economic well-being – through support to manage benefit claims/find work
‘Enjoy and achieve’- by engaging with community activities; making and maintaining meaningful relationships; taking part in voluntary activities
‘Be healthy’ – by accessing primary care services, better managing physical and mental health and addictions
‘Stay safe’ – by avoiding harm to self and others
‘Make a positive contribution’
Achieve personally important goals