Support to live in your own place

This article details the support that is available depending on your needs that can help you to live independently. 

You may also find the My Own Home: a guide to housing for people with learning disabilities Easy Read document useful. 

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Supported living for people with disabilities

Supported living is where a person with a disability gets the support they need to live in a home they own or that they rent. You may live on your own or share with others. The support you will receive depends on your needs.  

To find out if you are eligible for this type of support, a social worker will need to carry out an assessment

If you are a young person there are a number of providers who can provide support to help you in your home. These can be found in our Transitions housing guide.  

The council have developed a supported move-on scheme for up to six young adults with learning difficulties. This is called Blackhorse House and is based in Downend, South Gloucestershire. The aim of the scheme is to prepare people during a 12 month period to then move on to more independent living.  The scheme will have 24/7 support with one worker on site to ensure emergency and night time cover.  There will also be a mix of shared and individual 1:1 support.  The support provided will be intensive initially, and would focus on building confidence and independent living skills to ensure that the maximum level of independence is achieved.

Shared Lives Scheme 

Shared lives can help you to find a new home or place to stay.  Individuals and families in the local community let you live in their home, and give you the support that you need to live the life that you would like to. 

Shared lives carers can help you with:  

  • support during the day 
  • somewhere to stay for a short break 
  • a place to go for a short time to learn some independent living skills 
  • a permanent home  

You can read more about shared lives on the following article.  

Housing related support

This service supports vulnerable people to live in their own homes.  Services are based on your needs, with the aim of helping you to find somewhere suitable to live.  If you are eligible for housing benefit, then you do not pay for this support. 

Support is often short term, where you are helped to develop the skills you need to live on your own.  Where you live could be self-contained or it could be in a shared house. You will have an accommodation agreement, where you must agree to learn these skills.  If you live in sheltered housing and/or have a learning difficulty, this support may go on for longer. This could also be short term supported housing.

Further details about the different kinds of housing related support available and how to apply can be found in this article.

Adjustments needed to your house 

Once you have thought about what type of housing you prefer, it may be necessary to consider if the property would need changes (adaptations) to make it easier for you to live in, if you have a physical disability. 

Some of these changes might be small, for example fitting a grab rail in the bathroom.  Other changes may require building work, for example putting in a shower room.  If you do not own the property, permission will probably be required from the property owner before any work is undertaken. A Disabled Facilities Grant may be available to pay for any big changes. The following article describes further about adaptations.

Further Information  

If you are a young person or their family, South Gloucestershire Council's Transitions guides detail various local support around housing in South Gloucestershire.

You can also visit our directory of services for information on groups to help you with your housing options.    

The Mix is a charity to help young people under 25. They have a section on their website to help understand housing.