Supported living services offer care and assistance for those living in rented accommodation or in their own homes. Under a supported living arrangement, personal care and accommodation are provided under separate contractual agreements. Housing is often provided through the local authority or a registered housing association, and funded through the individual’s benefits or earnings. Support is delivered by a care giver, like PBL Care, and funded by the local council or in some cases the NHS.

People in supported living may choose to live on their own, with another person or in a shared house where everyone contributes to bills and upkeep. These shared homes are often existing properties that have been specifically converted to provide the right environment for those with particular needs. Each person will generally have their own tenancy agreement detailing their individual rights and responsibilities.

The support provided is flexible and based on individual needs. It can range from a few hours each day to full time, 24-7, with a care worker staying overnight at the person’s home.

Eligibility and funding

The level of support anyone needs is planned and agreed with them and, if appropriate, their immediate family. Usually an assessment is completed by a care manager or social worker, before they’re introduced to a suitable care giver.

Some people choose to take a Personal Independence Payment or Direct Payment and select a provider directly. With this comes responsibility for all aspects of working arrangements and employee wellbeing, which the council can advise on.

If you choose a support provider like PBL, then you will be introduced to our support staff to ensure everyone gets on. The council, or in some cases the NHS, then pays the support provider direct and closely monitors the service that you receive.

Benefits available to those in supported living arrangements vary depending on their level of need and ability. They may include:

Disability Living Allowance or a Personal Independence Payment

Attendance allowance (for those over 65)

Employment and support allowance

Some people also receive Housing Benefit to help them with their rent as well as benefits and grants to assist with special adaptations to their homes.

Working with registered providers

In each supported living service, the roles and responsibilities of the support provider and registered housing provider – the landlord – are set out in a Service Level Agreement (SLA) that both parties agree to and sign. Each SLA is different, with distinct working arrangements, reporting procedures and some variation in responsibilities. At PBL Care, our aim is always to work in partnership with the landlord in the best interests of those we support.

Benefits from Supported Living:

  • Shopping, cooking and menu-planning
  • Learning new skills for independence
  • Personal care, health and wellbeing
  • Managing medication
  • Access to education and support into work
  • Accessing social and leisure activities
  • Meeting people in the local community
  • Cultural or religious needs
  • Identifying and claiming benefits
  • Managing bills and money

Why choose supported living?

Around-the-clock care allows your loved one to remain in his or her home, while ensuring safety and promoting optimal well-being. In addition, caregivers offer a much more personalised plan of care with one-to-one support tailored to the status, conditions, preferences, hobbies and lifestyle of the individual.

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Our daily care services

With 24/7, around-the-clock care, a caregiver is always watching over your loved one, offering emotional support, reducing fall risk and assisting in all activities of daily living including:

Personal care
  • Assisting with walking and transferring from bed to wheelchair
  • Bathing, dressing and grooming assistance
  • Medication reminders
  • Safety and fall prevention
  • Status reporting to family
  • Toileting and incontinence care
  • 24/7 Monitoring after a procedure or hospital stay
Lifestyle support
  • Light housekeeping
  • Meal preparation and nutrition
  • Laundry and change of bed linens
  • Grocery shopping and errands
  • Transportation to social and recreational activities
  • Assistance with light exercise and outdoor activity
  • Companionship and community engagement

Frequently asked questions

What is supported living?

Supported living is a service designed to help people with a wide range of support needs retain their independence by being supported in their own home. People in supported living have their own tenancy and are responsible for their own bills and cost of living. This may include full or part furnishing and repairing any damage – exact details will vary locally. To afford these, the person may be entitled to a wide range of benefits and grants. In single person supported living, they will also have their own front door.

In Supported Living, support provision is not dependent on provision of housing (and vice versa.) So if the support provider changes, this doesn’t affect the tenancy. The person has security of tenure in line with their tenancy agreement – they can only be made to leave under certain circumstances, usually by order of a court

What are the advantages of supported living?

The benefits of supported living are the choice, control and enfranchisement that come from holding one’s own tenancy and – in a single person service – one’s own front door.

In particular, by separating a person’s support and housing provider, the housing will remain constant even if a person’s support provider changes. That is essential; no-one should be forced to endure low quality support in order to keep living in their home. This is the case even with providers (such as Dimensions,) that provide both support and housing.

Supported Living arrangements, where the person’s rights are protected by their tenancy agreement, often offer greater security of tenure compared to residency in a care home which typically come with 28-day notice periods. That said, this security does depend on the terms of the tenancy agreement. With more and more supported living services being found through the private rented market rather than social housing, the old idea of a ‘home for life’ is dwindling.

Who is supported living suitable for?

Supported living used to be thought of as primarily for more able people and those who wish to live alone. Whilst both those groups of people can certainly benefit from supported living, so can people with more complex needs, and those who prefer to live with housemates. Both supported living and registered care can provide support 24/7 support if required; we support many people with profound and multiple learning disabilities and complex needs in supported living environments.

We also support people in smaller care homes and larger supported living services as well as the opposite. The decision about whether someone lives alone or with housemates should be based on their assessed needs, personal wishes, compatibility and the opportunity to pool budgets to deliver shared support.

How much does Supported Living cost?

The total cost is entirely dependent on an individual’s assessed needs. But there are important differences between supported living and registered care in who pays for what. In a supported living site, the individual’s local authority or health board is responsible for the costs of both support and accommodation.

In supported living, the person is a tenant in their own home and therefore is liable to pay their own rent and other housing costs. People are often eligible for housing benefit (paid by central government) or other benefits to cover the costs of the tenancy. So supported living is usually a much cheaper option for the local authority or health board.

Supported Living offers a range of advantages, especially for people living on their own or as a couple. For others, it is the principle of choice and control that is key. We’re aware of cases where supported living actually costs the Local Authority more money, but remains the preferred living arrangement.

The worst case is that people are ‘placed’ in supported living with the same disregard for their own and others’ wishes, as can happen in residential care. Of course, this is not a disadvantage of supported living but a question of poor commissioning.