Specialist and Supported Housing Strategy 2023 to 2033

The strategic aims of this strategy are influenced and informed by the national and local policy context, the views and perspectives of local stakeholders, people with lived experience and Council Officers and their local partners, and the identified needs of local people for specialist and supported housing.

The strategic aims of this strategy are set out below.

A.   To develop and enable the provision of a wide range of homes, including supported and specialist homes, that are suited to the needs of an ageing population.

This will include the commissioning and delivery of specialist housing of different tenures suited to older people, including extra care housing and retirement housing for affordable rent and for sale, new build mainstream (non-age designated) homes for sale and for affordable rent that are better suited to the needs of older people, and the provision of adaptations that enable older people to remain living in their existing homes.

B.    To commission and develop a range of specialist and supported housing, with associated care and support services, that enable adults with longer term care and support needs to have a home in the community.

This will involve the commissioning and delivery of supported housing that reflects the needs and preferences of people with learning disabilities, autistic people, and people with serious and enduring mental ill health. This will include a range of homes, for example, self-contained supported housing, shared supported housing, home ownership options, and, for some people, bespoke housing arrangements.

C.   To commission and develop a range of specialist and supported housing, with associated support services, for young people and adults who are homeless, or who are at risk of homelessness; and homes for young people who are care experienced.

This is intended to be for people who need generally supported housing as a consequence of being homeless or being at risk of homelessness; this is closely aligned with the aims of the council's Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy. This includes supported housing for young people with a support need (such as care leavers), people experiencing domestic abuse, and people who may have multiple and complex needs linked to, for example, drug or alcohol dependence, offending and/or rough sleeping.

D.   To enable and provide a range of accessible and adapted homes suited to the needs of people with physical disabilities and/or long-term conditions.

This is to ensure that there are sufficient homes for sale and for affordable rent that are adapted to accessibility standards (M4(2) and M4(3)) including for people who are wheelchair users, in line with the council's Specialist and Supported Housing Supplementary Planning Document.

E.    To maintain and raise the standard and quality of supported housing services

The council will work with providers of supported housing services to ensure that both the quality of accommodation used for supported housing and the support services provided in supported housing are of good quality and offer a range of housing choices for people.

The delivery plan (section 7) summarises actions to deliver these strategic aims.