I did not have a very nice upbringing, parents fighting, with my mum suffering from domestic violence. My oldest brother used to run away a lot, which had an impact on me. I was told to leave home numerous times due to arguments and at one stage, I was in care. When I was 16 I got accommodated by a housing agency, but did not get the support I needed. Since then, I have stayed at the YMCA and now I am with Arch, where I am accessing support services and working on moving forward.

Supported Housing Client

In my time with Arch, I have found that my Key Worker has been very helpful and has attended to my needs to the best of her abilities.

Nathan Eaglefield, Supported Housing Client

What lead me to come to Arch was my friends. They said they would help me with the problems I had and help with things like housing, education and other things.

Supported Housing Client

Supported Housing Service

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What is supported housing?
What are the aims of Supported Housing?
What support will you receive?
Our Accommodation
Who is eligible to access the service?
How can you make a referral to the service?

What is Supported Housing?

Supported housing is a community based housing project which accommodates people who are homeless or at threat of becoming homeless from the ages of 16 - 65.

What are the aims of Supported Housing?

The aim of Arch Supported Housing's transitional accommodation is to help people to secure permanent solutions to homelessness by providing them with the support and skills needed to live independently.

e have 54 bed spaces through Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. The majority of our accommodation is two bedroom shared properties but we also have a number of single properties.

All of our houses are fully furnished and new bedding is provided to each person when they move in. Each resident has their own lockable bedroom with access to a shared kitchen, living room and bathroom. If a resident is in receipt of Housing Benefit, the rent will usually be covered by Housing Benefit. If the resident is employed, they may be able to claim some Housing Benefit towards the rent.

We expect the residents to treat the properties as their own homes. However, there are restrictions regarding visitors. Residents are allowed to have one visitor each who can stay overnight, but they must sleep in the resident's room and not in the communal areas. Visitors can stay at the property for a maximum of three nights per week. We expect our residents and their visitors to display consideration to other residents and neighbours and we do not tolerate any form of anti-social behaviour.

What support will you receive?

Every resident in our accommodation is allocated a Key Worker who will work with them through our Independent Living Programme to develop the necessary life skills that will enable them to move to more appropriate independent accommodation.

In partnership with the resident, we assess what the individual persons needs are by carrying out a thorough assessment as part of the Independent Living Programme process. Areas of need can be very practical such as budgeting, menu planning and paying household bills. There can also be other less visible needs such as dealing with family breakdown, lack of confidence or loss of self worth. All support meetings including one to one meetings and house meetings are compulsory. The Key Workers will also liaise with other support agencies, where this is appropriate, to ensure that the client receives the optimum support to meet their needs.

Residents will initially be allocated to a bed space in the shared houses with the aim of them then moving to a single unit before being referred to our Resettlement Team.

We do not provide financial support, however, we will assist you to apply for any grants or benefit you are entitled to. We do not provide meals or domiciliary care. We are unable to provide a removal and cleaning service for residents securing their own tenancy, but we will assist you to access services that can provide this facility.

Our Accommodation

We have 54 bed spaces through Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. The majority of our accommodation is two bedroom shared properties but we also have a number of single properties.

Who is eligible to access the service?

Arch's Supported Housing team will support people who meet the following eligibility criteria:

Single people
Aged 16 - 65
Have a housing need
Willing to accept housing related support
Willing to engage with additional support services as appropriate

We expect our residents :

to engage fully with their Supported Housing Officer in order to assess their individual needs and to look at what support plans can be put in place that will best address those needs
to use our accommodation as their main home and to adhere to the terms and conditions of the accommodation as set out in the Licence Agreement
to behave with courtesy and respect to other residents, neighbours and Arch staff

Our residents can expect of us:

the provision of a service that is accessible and meets their needs and wishes
that the views of each resident will be respected and taken into consideration at all times
we will provide accommodation that is of an acceptable standard

How can you make a referral to the service?

Referrals can be made by individuals or professionals from support organisations. All applicants will be interviewed within 5 working days and will be subject to a Risk Assessment as part of the referral process.

Following the interview, references will be sought and a decision made following a review of all information. A positive decision will be made if the applicant can demonstrate that they are eligible for the service, they are willing to take advantage of the support provided and any identified risk can be managed. Any professional involved with the applicant will be informed of the outcome of the referral interview, provided consent has been obtained.

Successful applicants to the service will be offered accommodation immediately or placed on the waiting list until suitable accommodation becomes available.

If the applicant is unsuccessful, Arch will advise of other organisations that may be able to resolve their housing and support needs.

If you believe you are eligible for Supported Housing, please call us on 01782 204479 or complete the Referral Form and return it to the below address.

To download a referral pack click here.

Arch (North Staffs)
Accommodation Services
Canalside
Pelham Street
Hanley
Stoke-on-Trent
ST1 3LL

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