Sheltered Housing

Badger Vale Court Sheltered housing is normally built specifically for people over retirement age or for disabled people. The homes are generally flats, bungalows or both, grouped around a communal facility such as a lounge. Sometimes the accommodation is linked to the communal areas by corridors.

The homes all have their own front doors and are self-contained. But they differ from ordinary housing because they are grouped together and have a dedicated Community Scheme Manager to support the people who live there.

The Community Scheme Manager will regularly check on your well-being and help you to access services that may enable you to remain as independent as possible in your own home. This can include help from social services, health services and voluntary services.

Semi sheltered housing

Copperfield Close Semi-sheltered housing is similar to sheltered housing but does not have communal facilities. It still has the support of housing staff who visit regularly, and your home is connected to a 24-hour community alarm service.

To find out more information about our sheltered housing and semi-sheltered schemes, please click here|.

Sheltered Housing News

To view the latest news, please click on a title:

GCH residents enjoy a 4th Supported Housing Christmas Extravaganza|

Latest Newsletter

To view the latest sheltered housing newsletter detailing the latest news, information and events on schemes, please select the link below:

Sheltered Housing Newsletter 2011|

Is our sheltered housing right for you

We offer sheltered housing for people aged 60 or over, or disabled people of any age. Each scheme has its own Community Scheme Manager.

The Community Scheme Manager checks you are fit and well every day and provides a safe and secure environment where you can live independently in your own home.

Each home has a 24-hour "Lifelink" community alarm system that allows you to summon help in an emergency. The alarm system is normally a two-way intercom fixed to the wall in your hallway, with pull cords in the main rooms. You can also have a pendant to wear around your neck or on a wrist-band.

When you operate the alarm, staff in the emergency control centre can hear you anywhere in your home, and the pendant will normally work in the garden as well as indoors.

We encourage a good community spirit in all our sheltered housing schemes and this gives you the peace of mind of knowing you are never alone.

Scheme activities Each scheme has its own residents group who, with the Community Scheme Manager, arrange various social activities and help us identify how we can go on improving services.

Each scheme has communal facilities that you can use when you feel like some company, and you have your own home for when you want privacy.

You are responsible for paying all your rent, service charges and support charges, council tax, water rates, and other utility bills while living in sheltered housing. Service charges usually cover costs like cleaning, gardening and maintenance of common areas. Support charges cover the cost of the Scheme Manager, the alarm system and 24-hour call out, although the costs of these may be covered by housing benefit or supporting people payments.

There are many reasons for choosing to live in a sheltered housing scheme:

Your present home may be too large for you to cope with
You would like the security of having a Community Scheme Manager checking on your well-being daily
You would benefit from the comfort and companionship of living with like-minded people of your own age
You want to get involved with the sheltered community and activities
You could use the communal amenities
You want to remain independent in your own home with your own front-door key
A Community Scheme Manager could help you apply to various agencies and arrange any support you may need
You would have the peace of mind of being able to access our "Lifelink" 24-hour community alarm service
In an emergency, you could get help easily
You or your Community Scheme Manager could arrange repairs to your home by contacting us.

To view our Sheltered Housing Service Standards, please select this link|.

If you need greater personal or nursing care

If you think you need considerably more help than this, you may wish to consider one of the following types of care home. We do not provide these homes:

Residential care homes

Residential care homes generally provide meals and personal care for people who cannot live independently.

For more information on residential care in Gloucestershire, contact the Adult Helpdesk at Gloucestershire County Council Social Care Services:

Address: Gloucestershire County Council, Community and Adult Care Directorate, Quayside House, Quayside Wing, Shire Hall, Gloucester GL1 2RH
Tel: 01452 426868
Email: socialcare.enq@gloucestershire.gov.uk|
Website: www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/ |

Alternatively, for information on residential care homes in Gloucestershire and throughout England contact Guide2Care:
Address: 15 Spetchley Road Worcester WR5 2LP
Tel: 0845 257 1256
Email: office@guide2care.com|
Website: www.guide2care.com/|

Nursing care homes

Nursing care homes look after people with medical needs. Nursing care is midway between residential care and hospital - it's for people whose medical condition calls for nursing skills but isn't severe enough for hospital treatment. Staff at these homes include nurses, nurses' aides, housekeepers, physical and occupational therapists, and social workers. The team provides medical care and supervision, help with using the bath and toilet, rehabilitation through exercise and other activities, and help with personal problems.
For information on nursing homes in Gloucestershire or in the rest of England contact Guide2care:
Address: 15 Spetchley Road Worcester WR5 2LP
Tel: 0845 257 1256
Email: office@guide2care.com|
Website: www.guide2care.com/|

Who can apply for sheltered housing?

Sheltered housing schemes are open to all applicants regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or religion.

The only condition is that you must be either:

60 years of age or over; or
disabled of a younger age.

Further help and advice

If, after reading this booklet, you'd like to find out more about sheltered housing and see if it would be the right move for you, we can arrange for a Community Scheme Manager to come and talk to you or for you to visit a scheme

Help with moving home

If you are a council tenant in a family-sized home that you now find hard to manage, and decide you would like to move into sheltered housing, you may be able to get help with moving expenses and decorating. Contact our Customer Services Team on 0800 408 2000, who can give you the 'Incentive to Move' booklet and any more advice you need.

If you are on a low income and receiving pension credit, you may be able to apply to the Department for Work & Pensions Social Fund for a community care grant to help with removal costs.

For more details please contact direct.gov, the easy way to access information about government services: www.direct.gov.uk|

Cedar House, Spa Road, Gloucester GL1 1XL
Telephone: 0845 604 3719
Textphone: 0800 023 488

If you would like to find out more about other sheltered schemes in the city, please contact Gloucester City Council's HousingTeam| on 01452 396504.

Download our Sheltered Housing Handbook|

Download our Sheltered Housing Fire Policy Leaflet|

Download our Sheltered Housing Mobility Scooter Policy Leaflet|

Applying to transfer to another council property|

Help with travel costs|