Supported Housing Improvement Programme (SHIP)
Nottingham City Council has been awarded funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to take part in the Supported Housing Improvement Programme until March 2025.
The aim of the programme is to improve standards and value for money within the supported housing sector.
You can find out more about the programme here
In Nottingham, the work of the programme will be undertaken by The Supported Housing Hub Team. The team will review the quality of non-commissioned supported accommodation by carrying out proactive property inspections and face to face resident support reviews. Our aim is to work collaboratively with providers and tenants to ensure that supported accommodation is:
- Safe and appropriate, whilst being free from significant hazards
- That tenant support is being delivered to a high standard
- That support is sufficient for residents to qualify for Housing Benefit
You can find out more about the standard of accommodation and support you will be expected to provide in the Local Good Practice Standards Guide and the National statement of expectations here:
- Click to download the Good Practice Standards Guide
- Click to visit and Read Supported housing: national statement of expectations - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Landlords
If you are a landlord providing supported accommodation for the first time, or you are an existing provider looking to deliver supported housing at a new address, you will need to provide some information about your scheme.
Where your residents will be relying on Housing Benefit to pay their rent, you will need to complete the landlord form and return this to the supported accommodation Hub Team at sea@nottinghamcitycouncil.gov.uk
Once your form has been considered you will be asked to provide further information to be able to decide if your residents qualify for Housing Benefit. A desktop review of paperwork will be undertaken alongside a visit to the property where we will need to speak to residents and whoever is managing the property.
Alongside the Landlord Form, there will be other information we will also ask for which will include but not be limited to the following:
- Staff list in the form of Excel spreadsheet
- Rent breakdown
- Lease
- Support logs
- Support plans
- Safety compliance certificates
- Resident licence agreements
- A named contact to refer to
The following Policies & Procedures:
- GDPR
- Health & Safety
- Safeguarding
- Complaints
- Anti-social behaviour
- Referral policy
- Risk assessment
- Support plan template
- Resident non-engagement
- Pre-eviction
- Move-on policy
- Tenancy agreement template
- Domestic & sexual violence policy
- Substance misuse
Click link to read Rent Breakdown Template
After these, and other required documents, have been provided, a desktop review of paperwork will be undertaken. Following this, a visit to the property will be booked where we will need to speak to residents about the support they receive. The evidence provided and the statements of residents will be used to decide if Housing Benefit is payable and to identify where service improvements might be required
The Department for Work and Pensions says that in order for Housing Benefit to be paid, the following support conditions must be satisfied
- There must be a genuine need for residents to receive support along with their housing. This need should exist throughout the period of residency.
- •The need for support should have been assessed and agreed by a qualified person or organisation. A private sector voluntary organisation landlord providing support following their own assessment of need would not be acceptable
- Support must be provided to a level that is sufficient to meet your residents needs
- Landlords should be able to demonstrate that they have sufficient, identifiable funds to be able to provide the support. The costs of providing support cannot be paid via the Housing Benefit scheme.
Residents
If you are living in supported accommodation you may want to make a claim for Housing Benefit and/or Universal Credit. Information about making a claim can be found here
Useful information
If you would like to report an incidence of anti-social behaviour you can do this here:
If you are worried about an adult you can find further information here:
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