Supported Living is an accommodation based support service for people with disabilities who want to live independently but may still need some help and support.
Supported Living services fall into one of 2 accommodation categories:
- shared houses, usually with 2 to 4 tenants living together with their own bedrooms and sharing a communal space
- single occupancy units, where people have their own property within a group of other single occupancy properties, such as flats or bungalows
In this type of housing the landlord and the support provider are separate.
The support individuals receive in these service is usually a mixture of one to one support or shared support hours that all individuals living at the service benefit from.
Find out more in our easy read guide for supported living (PDF, 987.65 KB).
Assessing your care and support needs
You need a social care assessment to find out your care and support needs. Adult social care will let you know if supported living is a good housing and support option for you.
Contact Adult Social Care for a chat about your care and support needs. A family member or friend can be part of the conversation.
Moving into supported living
If supported living is agreed as the right option for you, you will be able to visit the properties identified as suitable and meet the other tenants there to decide if you want to live there.
A family member, friend or your advocate can help you sign the tenancy agreement and move into supported living accommodation.
Paying for supported living
If you move into a supported living property, you'll have to pay rent which may include an eligible service charge and/or illegible service charge.
If you're eligible for Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, you might be able to claim this towards the cost of your rent.
If you choose a shared house, you will need to pay an equal share of the electricity, water and gas bills. If you choose a single unit, you will need to pay all the bills.
More information
If you are interested in providing Supported Living services for people with disabilities, please visit the Essex Provider Hub for more details.