Tenancy Support

Tenancy support is offered in a planned structured way with appointments arranged with you by your support worker at a regular time and place – usually in your home – and this is backed up by a drop-in service at our office available every weekday between 10 and 2 to support you with issues and concerns between Support Workers visits.

Support

What type of support is offered?

We can provide support in a number of ways, to help you keep your home. This can be through information, advice or more practical support. For example:

• Viewing your new home and signing your tenancy agreement
• Arranging for the gas and electricity supply
• Accessing furniture
• Completing your Housing Benefit form
• Applying for benefits
• Completing a Community Care Grant application
• Budgeting your money
• Registering with a G.P. and a dentist
• Homemaking skills including decorating, cooking, cleaning and organising
• Planning your weekly shopping
• General advice on housing issues
• Enable you to voice your opinions and help you to be heard
• Attending meetings, appeals, reviews with you
• Accessing other services - mental health, addictions, health, money advice etc.
• Completing forms
• Accessing education, training and employment.
• Managing day to day correspondence such as letters or bills
• Managing your visitors
• Offering you the opportunity to have someone who you can speak to and who can provide a listening ear.

What can you expect from ILS?

Your Rights

• You will be treated with dignity and respect at all times.
• You can expect all staff to be sensitive and supportive and appreciate you for who you are and not discriminate against you.
• You can expect to have up to date information in a language that you can easily understand and that this information will be treated as confidential.
• You can expect to be consulted in planning and setting your support plan, reviewing you support plan and helped to achieve greater independence.
• You will be offered assistance to make use of resources available.
• You have the right to make your own decisions and choices and these will be accepted and respected.
• You have the right to change your Support Worker and be helped to understand any factors in this choice.

How do I contact ILS?

Anyone can refer themselves to ILS, usually by contacting us directly. Alternatively, if you are involved with any other agencies (e.g. your landlord, Social Work or a Community Psychiatric Nurse) they can make a referral on your behalf.  A family member, friend or neighbour can also refer you to us. If you have recently been homeless, and have had contact with staff within the homelessness team, a referral could be made on your behalf (with your consent).

You can contact ILS  directly between 10am and 2pm any working day by phone, outside of these hours please leave us a message and we will call you back.  Alternatively you can call into the office in person at 8 George St Meuse, Dumfries again between 10am and 2pm.

What happens once a referral has been made?

Once we receive a referral form we will contact you to tell you your name is on the waiting list and will try to allocate you a named worker as soon as possible.  We try to prioritise people’s needs so the more information you feel you are able to give us the better as it will enable us to place you on the waiting list accordingly. We will arrange to meet with you as soon as possible, discuss your needs and write up a Support Plan that meets these needs and then allocate you a member of staff, who will be your Support Worker. This will depend on what area you are living in, or hoping to move to. The member of staff will then arrange to meet you and your support will begin.
Your Support Plan gives details of the support you want, the aims of the support, and what actions both you and the support worker need to take, to achieve this. Your Support Worker will provide you with a copy of your agreed support plan.

How often will I see my Support Worker?

The level of support you expect will be discussed when you draw up your support plan. However this will remain flexible, and will vary to meet your needs, for example you may start with more hours and then reduce as you become more settled, your hours of support are designed to meet your needs in the best possible ways.