This service comprises 20 2/3 bed furnished properties located across the Sefton borough provided to families experiencing homelessness. Families will receive support from our Specialist Support Worker to help them sustain their tenancy and other support needs they may have, for example with benefits, debt, rent arrears, health, domestic abuse, hate crime and/or anti-social behaviour.

We can help with:

• applying for welfare benefits
• applying for permanent housing
• developing life skills
• budgeting and managing debts
• advice on care & counselling services
• putting in place safeguards to stabilise & manage crisis situations including situation relating to domestic violence, hate crime and anti-social behaviour
• understanding your license agreement
• helping you to organise utilities
• making links within community
• supporting with school/educational and other needs of the children.

Our Specialist Support Worker will visit and provide temporary accommodation. They will work with families to develop a personal action plan that suits each family. We work closely with other agencies to help get the right support for each family, including Adult and Children’s services, health services, domestic abuse services, welfare rights, probation and the police. We will help families to manage their licence agreement with us and also help them move on to permanent accommodation with either Riverside or another landlord.

Our Specialist Support Worker will arrange to visit where it is best for each family, either in their home or somewhere in the local area.

Outcomes of this service include:

• Sustaining a tenancy in both temporary and permanent home.
• Improving your and your family’s health and wellbeing.
• Developing local links within the community.
• Achieving their and their family’s personal goals as per their support plan (can include anything from the above bullet points and more)

When families move onto permanent accommodation we ensure relevant referrals to other support agencies as required.

Referrals

All applications for this service must be made through the Mainstay system which is a single gateway for all short term housing related support services across Merseyside. The assessment point is Sefton’s Housing Options Team.

The team is based at: Powerhouse Foyer, 300 Upper Parliament Street, Liverpool , L8 7JU