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Post move-on support
The aim of support work in the community is to help clients make the difficult transition into independent accommodation, and to try to ensure that the move is successful and permanent.
Outline of section
Introduction | Cognitive aims | Practical aims | Emotional aims | Practical Tasks | Rent | Benefits | Standards | Co-ordination | Advocacy | Evaluation
Introduction
The time for which post move-on support might be provided varies from a few months to up to two years, depending on the service and the client group. Thames Reach describe the benefits in seeing through a 'cycle' of bills and payments etc, or a cycle of 'seasons' or fluctuations in mental health etc. Immediately following the move, clients should be offered support at a level agreed in the resettlement plan. However, workers should be aware of additional needs that may arise, or the deterioration of mental health, increased substance use etc that may accompany or indicate difficulties adapting to change. See Endings in "Flying Solo".
Post move-on support might be carried out by the resettlement agency or by the new landord. More recently, "floating support" services have developed where support is delivered independently of the tenancy and often by an external agency on behalf of the landlord. Support work can be carried out through home visits or through support groups. Some homelessness agencies provide meaningful occupation and employment and training activities as a form of post move-on support.
- See barriers to and valuable aspects of support groups and home visits.
Cognitive aims
- To continue to develop the resettlement plan with the client.
- To help develop the client's independence in their accommodation.
- To develop and check the client's techniques and capacities for dealing with problems and administration.
Practical aims
- To provide tenancy support where problems arise e.g. where clients may have difficulty with benefits, neighbours etc.
Practical Tasks
- Check all welfare benefits the client may be entitled to. Below is standard practice, there may be other sources your client is entitled to access.
Rent
- Make sure that housing benefit forms for the new address have been sent in or delivered (if delivered, the client should get a receipt). Explain that the housing benefit will have to be reapplied for periodically, or in the event of any change in circumstances.
- Explain the importance of complying with requests for proof of income, proof of rent or ineligible charges.
- If there are budget plans in place to be paying the rent, these need to be reviewed regularly in the early stages.
- Check with the housing provider that housing benefit is being processed.
Benefits
- Stress the importance of changing benefits to the new address so that the housing benefit claim will go through. Be ready to help with this if necessary.
- Check that the client is getting all the benefits that s/he is entitled to, e.g. Disability Living Allowance etc., and if not, help them to apply for the rest.
- Explain about the council tax rebates (usually applied for with housing benefit).
- Ensure that the gas and electricity supplies are connected and in the client's name, and that the meters were read when the client moved in. Currently, three working days are needed for the electricity to be turned on!
- Explain to the client the importance of budgeting aids such as key meters and payment books. Where key meters cannot be installed, stress the possibility of instalment payments that match the client's pattern of benefit payments: weekly or fortnightly.
- Chase up, if necessary, the client's community care grant application. . Encourage the client to buy adequate furniture and utensils
- If necessary contacting community psychiatric; nurses, district nurses, general practitioners, home helps etc.
- Introduce the client to: day centres, drop-ins, libraries, advice centres, and job centres, cultural centres, parks and anything else they may be interested in as far as you can in the time!
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Standards
- The client is aware of the extent of the support and the review dates, and as far as possible, would choose this.
Co-ordination
- Ensure that the ending of support is reported at the team meeting, and the housing officer and partner agencies involved are informed.
- There will be a review of the client and situation in team meetings as appropriate and/or in the supervision with the line manager.
- Frequency of visits will depend on assessment of need with the client, and links with other support systems .
- Extensions of the support contract will be reviewed appropriately and regularly
Advocacy
The resettlement service will, where possible, provide additional task-orientated support at times of crisis, and will seek to organise and chase up liaison with other support networks.
Evaluation
- How many clients have maintained their tenancies after a set period of time e.g. six or 12 months, or some cases even longer?
- Evaluate through contact with housing managers.
- Evaluate through joint visits with housing officers to access further support if needed.
Next section: Flying solo!