Sandwell Floating Support Service Sandwell Floating Support Service provides housing-related support to vulnerable people to either remain in their homes and maintain their independence or resettle back into the community and achieve independence. The support is designed to help people develop the skills they need to run a home, stay safe, be healthy and participate in work, volunteering or social activities that make them feel part of their local community. The support provided will be different for each person as it is designed to specifically meet that person’s individual need.

Eligibility for the service • You must be either resident in Sandwell or placed out of borough in temporary accommodation by the Housing Options service or Sandwell MBC. • You must have recourse to public funds. • You should be aged 18 or over (there is no upper age limit). • Young people aged between 16 and 17 will be considered who have been granted an independent tenancy or home and need support to sustain their accommodation.

Pre-Assessment We would like you to answer a series of questions to help you decide whether you need to be referred to the service. The first part is to determine why you need floating support. Note to referrer: Please assist your customer to complete the preassessment, before going on to fully complete the referral form.

1   

PRE-ASSESSMENT FORM Part 1 Please answer yes to the statement that applies to you (please only tick one box): Yes I am homeless and have been placed in temporary accommodation by the Local Authority I am homeless and have been awarded a priority by the Local Authority for housing and need support to re-settle I have found housing following a period of homelessness and need support to resettle I am at risk of homelessness ( for example I am not managing in my current home and at risk of losing the place I currently live in) I would not be able to move in to more independent accommodation without support (for example I am moving from supported or semi supported housing or I am an offender leaving prison and need help to resettle) I would be at risk of becoming less independent without support (for example without support I will lose my independence and may not be able to remain living in the community) I am at significant risk of harm (for example safeguarding, domestic abuse, harassment due to vulnerability, race or culture) I need support following discharge from hospital (for example to enable me to re-settle back into my home and have no family, friends or support to help me) I need support to prevent the risk of admission to hospital or similar (with appropriate support I can remain at home and receive treatment and I have no family, friends or other support to help me) If none of the above statements apply to you then we will be unable to consider you for the Floating Support Service. If you have answered YES to any of the above statements, please continue to tell us a bit more about your situation.

2   

Part 2 The Floating Support Service can offer support with resettlement and setting up home, or gaining confidence and skills to manage a home. Please indicate which of the following areas you feel you need support with (you can choose more than one area): Yes No Managing your finances (support with claiming welfare benefits, debt management, budgeting skills) Managing your physical or mental health (support to ensure that physical health/mental health/self care/substance misuse is improved, reduced or maximised) Managing safety and security (support to maintain your tenancy or home, set up your tenancy or home, or/and to keep safe) To reduce feelings of isolation & low self esteem, by supporting you to access recreational, social activities, cultural or religious services and establishing or re-establishing social or family contact To support you to access education, literacy and numeracy skills, training, employment To make a positive contribution by supporting you to reduce offending behaviour, develop social skills and manage your behaviour

If you have answered NO to all of the support questions then we will not be able to offer you the Floating Support Service. If you have answered YES to any of the questions, then please continue to tell us a bit more about your current circumstances.

3   

Part 3 Finally, to qualify for the service you must be vulnerable. Please indicate which particular area is making you feel vulnerable at the moment (please tick only one box): Yes I have mental health difficulties I have a physical difficulty I have a hearing or sight impairment I have/had drug and/or alcohol problems I am or have been suffering domestic abuse or other violence/abuse I am a young person at risk or have just left the care system I am a teenage parent I have a learning difficulty I am an offender at risk of re-offending I am a refugee I am a traveller We are a family with children who are at risk of higher intervention

If none of the above statements apply to you, it is unlikely we will be able to offer you the Floating Support Service. However, if you still think you need the service, please call us on 0121 569 5099 and an officer will ring you back within 1 working day to determine whether you should continue with the application. If you need help or advice another agency may be able to help you. We have attached a list of contact details for other agencies at the end of this form in the Useful Contacts section. 4   

If you have answered YES to statements in sections 1, 2 and 3 then please continue to complete the referral and consent forms below. When all forms are completed please send to:

Sandwell MBC, Community Care Division, Court House High Street West Bromwich West Midlands B70 8LU

5   

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY ID Number:

FLOATING SUPPORT SERVICE

IL2

REFERRAL FORM for Floating Support Referral Agency Details Referrer’s name: Agency Name: Address:

Telephone number: E mail address:

Applicant details Full name: Date of birth: Current Address:

Post code: Telephone number: Email address:

6   

Please give name, date of birth and relationship details of other adults who live in the property: Name

Date of Birth

Relationship to you

Please give details of any other agencies that are working with you here (we may contact them for further information): Name of Agency Name of Contact Address of agency

Name of Agency Name of Contact Address of agency

Telephone number Email address

Telephone number Email address

Please give us brief details of what they support you with:

7   

Please tell us why you think you would benefit from support:

Authority to Act on Behalf of and request Information

Checklist • Please ensure the consent form is signed on the following page. • Please complete all sections and return the completed preassessment, referral and consent forms to the Floating Support Service. Incomplete forms will be returned to you. What happens next? A Floating Support Officer will contact you within 10 working days of receipt of your referral to arrange to meet with you to assess your support needs. 8   

CONSENT FORM Authority to Act on Behalf of and request Information

“I………………………………………………………………………………… D.O.B. …./…./….

N.I. No.:……………………………………………...

Authorise the Floating Support Service to contact and request information and to act on my behalf with agencies and authorities as necessary”

Signed

Date

Print Name

9   

Statistical Information This information will be kept separately from your application and will be used, without names, for statistical purposes to help us to maintain fair access to the service. Please note: this section is voluntary. What is your ethnic origin?  

a) White: British Irish Other b) Mixed: White and Black Caribbean White and Black African White and Asian Other c) Asian or Asian British: Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Chinese Other d) Black or Black British: Caribbean African Other e) Other ethnic group: Other (please state) _____________________________

Are you:

Male

Female

Do you consider yourself to have a disability? 10   

Yes

No

USEFUL CONTACTS

- Brushstrokes: 0121 565 2234 Befriending & empowering. - Centrepoint: 0121 525 9191 Support services for young people, asylum seekers and refugees, homeless and disadvantaged people. Homeless soup kitchen. - Citizens Advice Bureau: 0121 500 2703 General advice on all matters. 22 Lombard Street, West Bromwich, West Midlands B70 8RT. www.adviceguide.org.uk - Community Alarms: 0121 569 6800/6802 24/7 service providing alarm, pendant or fall detector. Offering peace of mind for vulnerable people. www.sandwellhomes.org.uk/Services/YourWelfare/CommunityAlarm sWardens.asp - Community Transport: 0121 520 8168 Low-cost furniture/ house removal service. 216 Great Bridge Street, Great Bridge, West Bromwich B70 0DE. www.communitytransport.org.uk - Credit Union Project: 0121 553 3110 382 High Street , West Bromwich B70 9LB. www.sixtowns.co.uk - Health, Wellbeing and Community Portal Find out what's going on in and around the Sandwell area. www.webwell.org.uk - Housing Options: 0121 569 6000(option 3) Vulnerable housing enquiries, homelessness, etc. http://www.sandwellhomes.org.uk/Services/HousingOptions/Housing OptionsAdvice.asp

11   

- Ideal for All: 0121 558 5555 Independent Living Centre, 100 Oldbury Road, Smethwick, West Midlands, B66 1JE. The Occupational Therapy Service at Ideal For All runs alongside Sandwell Council's Equipment and Adaptations Service. Both services assess people in Sandwell for equipment. - Jobcentre plus: 0845 600 3115 - Learn direct: 0800 101 901 Literacy and Maths courses. - Marbles: 0121 525 8064 Low-cost furniture, house removals and house clearance 58 Dudley Road East, Tividale B69 3HJ – showroom 14 Great bridge DY4 7HA. www.marblessandwell.co.uk - Options for life: 0121 544 6611 Support for persons with learning difficulties. www.optionsforlife.info - Police: 101 local /999 emergency - Sandwell Access: 0845 3527133 Children’s care services. - Sandwell Assist: 0845 3522266 Adult social care, including Home Adaptations. - Kaleidoscope formerly Sandwell Mind: 0121 525 3828 Housing support for persons with mental health issues. www.sandwellmind.org.uk - Sandwell Women’s Aid: 0121 553 0090 Rape and abuse support. www.sandwellwomensaid.co.uk - St Thomas network: 01384 237993 Low-cost furniture and home removal service. Beechwood Road, Dudley DY2 7QA. - Swanswell: 0845 112 0100 Alcohol/drug issues. www.swanswell.org/home  12   

- Welfare Rights & Anti-Poverty Unit: 0121 569 3158 Telephone advice line. Benefit advice and support. Central Unit, Lombard Street West, West Bromwich, B70 8EB. www.sandwell.gov.uk/info/200145/benefits_and_grants/2184/benefits _advice

13