Description
Our dedicated Tenants First team give specialist tenancy and family support. We offer:
- family intervention support
- tenancy support – including help with claiming benefits, support accessing services and grants
- referrals to third party services like Citizens Advice, charities, and trusts
- housing coaches
- mental health (housing related) support for adults and families
- employment training support - helping tenants to get into training, skills, and employment (funded through the European Social Fund scheme)
We support tenants with a wide range of tenancy issues, as well as offering family support to those who have multiple support needs at a complex level. Our support is targeted to individual needs, with practical help and advice offered. Find out more about the help available below:
Family Intervention Support
Our dedicated key workers give practical, hands-on intensive support to tenants with multiple and complex needs. They use evidence-based family intervention methodology. They help families to identify their problems at the root cause, and after initial assessments, provide the family with a realistic, tailored support plan.
Our key workers support tenants who meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Involved in criminal or anti-social behaviour
- Struggling with a high level of debt
- In danger of losing their home
- Involved in domestic abuse and / or sexual violence
- Experiencing untreated/ unmanaged mental health problems
- Experiencing untreated/ unmanaged physical health problems
- Experiencing substance misuse problems
- Children in need (education/ parenting/ safeguarding)
Tenant Support
Our Tenant Support Officers provide specialist money management advice and support to tenants who have difficulties with:
- Tackling and reducing their rent arrears
- Certain vulnerabilities which means they need help completing online applications for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support
- Budgeting
- Dealing with additional rent charges due to under occupation sometimes known as ‘Bedroom tax’
- Universal Credit.
Our officers are able to assist with budgeting advice, looking at income and expenditure with tenants. You can self-refer for tenancy support by contacting your Neighbourhood Team or email tenantsupportservice@berneslaihomes.co.uk if you need help with maximising your income, managing debt, or budgeting advice
Housing Coaches
Our housing coaches support tenants on our waiting list for rehousing. The housing assessment team identifies applicants who may need extra support to set up and maintain a tenancy with us.
Our support is very hands on, practical, advising and guiding to ensure that the applicant is all set up to care for their home, report repairs, pay bills and utilities, and be part of the community where they live.
Mental Health Housing Support Officers
Our mental health housing support officers provide flexible and responsive housing related support to tenants who have low level mental health needs affecting their ability to maintain a successful tenancy.
They work with tenants to provide a range of practical and emotional support and interventions to reduce the risk of tenancy failure.
Our service is only available to Berneslai Homes Tenants.