Housing information pack for professionals
1. About this pack
This pack is for professionals and formal support networks and is designed to provide some key information about accommodation options. Additional packs are available for young people and for parents and carers.
Leicester has many different types of accommodation options, depending on people’s circumstances. Usually, people will either own or rent their accommodation. If someone wishes to rent accommodation then this could be through a private landlord, making an application to Leicester City Council for a general needs tenancy or, if they are eligible, look at supported living.
The housing department offers lots of services, information, and advice about housing related matters, such as applying for a council house, support for private tenants, landlords and leaseholders, help for homeowners, and the work to tackle homelessness and empty homes. For detailed information, go to Leicester City Council’s website: leicester.gov.uk/housing
This information pack provides some essential information to enable you to understand relevant options and to offer general advice to people who you are supporting.
2. Advice on the process for a housing application
Housing register and choice-based lettings
For someone to be rehoused by the city council, they must have an application on the housing register. To do this they must be a qualifying person, see more detail below. Once someone has an application, they’re able to choose which properties they would like to ‘bid’ for. They can only bid for properties that they are eligible for, for example, if they need a two-bedroom property they will not be able to bid for a four-bedroom property. The person who has been waiting the longest in the highest band will be offered the property first.
Banding scheme
Housing applications will be assessed and placed in a band to reflect the housing priority. Currently, there are three bands. Those most likely to be relevant are:
band one – statutory homeless people. High medical need, where a person’s current home is having a seriously adverse effect on the physical or mental health of either the applicant or a member of their household. Children leaving the care of Leicester City Council’s children’s service.
band two – those ready to leave residential care. Single people in designated temporary or supported accommodation. Those with a care package where a move will assist independent living.
band three – those identified by adult social care as ready to leave the care of family or carer. People over the age of 50 years requesting one-bedroom sheltered or extra care accommodation only.
The Housing options service, Leicester City Council, for homelessness and emergency housing advice contact, is: 0116 454 1008.
All other housing related advice and enquiries, including the council’s housing allocations policy can be viewed online at: leicester.gov.uk/housing.
3. Application checks
There are four areas that are checked for all applications and then again at the point that an offer is to be agreed.
Area one: that you have a connection to Leicester.
Area two: any history of rent arrears or eviction for anti-social behaviour.
Area three: that there are no immigration restrictions affecting you.
Area four: your income and any savings or assets you have.
4. Application steps and information required
Step one: pre-registration of a housing application.Step two: proofs required for full registration.
Step three: further checks completed to agree an offer can be made to you.
A housing application can take up to 28 working days to be registered
A delay is often caused because there are documents missing or gaps in the information provided. It is important that the information on the form reflects the person’s housing history and current situation. To have an application fully registered also requires an identity document, such as a birth certificate or passport. Further information on identity documents is included below.
A housing application must be completed online
A housing application number will be given when completing the online form, along with the proofs required to register the application.
A person will need an email address to register a housing application.
Regular bids are required to be made
The bidding cycle is weekly, and inactivity for six months can result in an application being cancelled.
Bidding for a property means competing with other people
The offer will be made to the person in the highest band who has been waiting in that band the longest. This means it is better to forward plan for housing and to have an application fully registered, if you are hoping to move in the next year or two.
5. Documents required for a housing application
6. Adult social care – supported living services
Supported living offers a range of accommodation options to people who draw on social care services. It provides greater choice and independence, supporting people to live in a place they can call home, doing what matters to them, and living in a way that they want to.
There are different types of support services available, all delivered by contracted support providers.
Enablement services: supporting people living with a learning disability or a mental health condition to participate in everyday activities, enabling people to develop skills and flourish in their own homes.
Living well services: Supporting people aged 50 years plus, and/or those with physical and sensory disabilities, to lead healthy and fulfilling lives, maximising the opportunity for continued independence.
Specialist services: supporting people with complex needs to live in their own homes.
Recovery services: supporting people with complex mental health conditions to recover and live independently. This is a time limited accommodation-based service which supports the person to then move out into independent accommodation after nine to 15 months.
Support can be delivered in the following areas, but the list isn’t exhaustive:
- understanding what is available locally in the community
- knowing what their rights are
- supporting choice and control in their life
- increasing a person’s independence
- being safe and secure in their home
- budgeting their money well
- accessing a wide range of employment, education, volunteering, and/or leisure opportunities and activities
- maintaining family and friendship connections and enjoying their social life.
- accessing health services.
In addition to the support services, we have a range of accommodation options that include:
schemes – these are a group of properties located within one building with access to communal areas and usually with onsite support available.
cluster properties – these are individual properties located within a community, all receiving floating support from the same support provider.
shared houses – where people share a house with others. Generally, people would have their own bedroom but share communal living spaces.
individual tenancies – these are independent properties where a person lives alone and receives support in their home.
The supported living team
Access to supported living is by referral. This can be made by the allocated social worker or social care practitioner. The team will work with the person to consider options and support their choices.
Finding accommodation and moving home are recognised as stressful events in life. The team supports the person through the whole process, helping to identify options, viewing different properties, weighing up the pros and cons of each, making housing applications, meeting the support providers, tenancy sign-ups, and preparing and co-ordinating the move with them.
If you have any queries, you can contact the team by emailing [email protected]
7. Other helpful information
The supported living team’s page on the Leicester City Council website:
leicester.gov.uk/supportedliving
Visit MyChoice for information on places to live:
mychoice.leicester.gov.uk/Categories/397
If you are preparing for adulthood and require information for independence and independent living, please follow this link: