This Housing First service covers all of Swale, Kent supporting customers housed in properties ranging from Sheppey through to Sittingbourne and Faversham. 

Swale Housing First offers floating support to customers living independently in the community who have a background with homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse and both physical and mental ill health.

Customers currently are both male and female and each lives in their own property. This is a long-term provision designed to support individuals who are able to live independently maintain and sustain a tenancy.

Our customers live in homes provided by Optivo, the local social housing provider, with whom the residents have a tenancy agreement. 

The support we provide includes:  

• accessing statutory services 
• improving longer term outcomes through community led support and inclusion 
• financial / budgeting support 
• supported shopping 
• managing health and wellbeing. 

The service is delivered in partnership with Swale Borough Council and their Rough Sleepers Initiative, Optivo (social housing providers) and Riverside who employ the specialist support workers. 

How it works 

We interact with our customers on a weekly basis to ensure that they are managing their tenancy and taking steps to improve their overall outlook in life.  Our team consists of two Specialist Support Workers and a Community Connecter who all work with the customers.  Each customer has their own support worker but interact with the whole team depending on need and strengths working with customers around: 

• Inclusion – connection to community services and local activities and events 
• Confidence building – communication skills and empowerment to manage day to day activities with support and to progress towards independence
• Financial / budgeting support and guidance  
• Support in accessing healthcare provision in their local area and improving their overall health and well being  
• Support in accessing other statutory services including the DWP, banks, adult social care 

Customers receive outstanding support from the team, there are formal review and support planning meetings where personal goals and aspirations are discussed and a structured approach to meeting those goals is set out. Customers can use the service to support them in attending appointments and booking appointments. 

There is a local scheme who are able to provide 24/7 support to customers should an issue arise outside of supported hours. 

Key outcomes for our customers include: 

• Improved health and well being 
• Improved independence 
• Improved self esteem and confidence  
• A sense of belonging in a local community
• Empowerment to take control of their own lives 

Customers are referred at present via local homeless charity stakeholders.