Housing Support: Learning disabilities

Heslington Road is a supported housing service offering support to six single people with mild learning disabilities. A member of staff is available Monday – Friday for approximately three and a half hours (times may vary - but between 9.00am -5.00pm).

Location
The house is within walking distance of the town centre and is well established within the community. There is a regular bus service to town.

Facilities
Each tenant has their own centrally heated, furnished bedroom with wash basin. Communal facilities include two kitchens, laundry facilities, bathroom, shower room, separate toilet and small lounge. Tenants are provided with lockable cupboards for storing food and personal crockery.
Street car parking is available.
The house has a small front and rear garden.
There is a weekly cleaning service for communal areas. Tenants are however expected to participate in keeping these areas clean and tidy and are responsible for cleaning the fridges and cookers - support will be provided.
There is a pay phone.

Activities
There are drop-in sessions twice a week in the downstairs kitchen. This is an opportunity for tenants to have a tea/coffee, get together, play games or just chat about life.
House meetings are held once a month and are structured so they address important issues such as Health and Safety, Fire awareness including regular alarm testing and drills, complaints from tenants, repairs and agreeing house rules.
Everyone is allowed their say and tenants are encouraged to listen with respect to others points of view. Tenants can raise any other issues during these meetings which are recorded. Minutes are given to all tenants.
Tenants all have one to one sessions with a named support worker weekly or fortnightly as need is identified.
The tenants are actively encouraged to participate in York Housing Association events such as the Open Day and Customer Panel. Appropriate one to one support will be provided during these events and transport arranged.
Staff have arranged for outside speakers to come to the house. In 2006 these included: money management from CAB, a talk by a fire prevention officer and a joint talk with tenants from another YHA project on Health and Safety.
Tenants also arrange social activities such as Ten Pin Bowling and going to the local pub for a drink. Tenants have also cooked together which is always very popular.

Referral
Referral is made through the Learning Disabilities Community Health team at Systems House, Amy Johnson Way, York YO30 4GW. Telephone number 01904 724172. Prospective tenants are encouraged to visit the property and to meet existing tenants with an appropriate person during the referral process. Consideration will be given to the overall needs of all tenants when allocating a room.
Although tenants do move on to more independent accommodation there is no limit to the length of stay.

From our tenants
J has lived in the house for seven years – this is what he told us.
“I like living here, but because it is a shared house it can be noisy at times. I think it is good that support staff come in to see us in the week, I would actually like them to come in for longer. We have House Meetings every month where we discuss what goes on in the house, Health and Safety and what to do if there was a fire.
We do our own cooking and have to clean our own rooms.
There is a cleaner who comes on a Thursday to clean the communal areas.
It is handy to get into town.
I have made some friends whilst living at Heslington Road.”