Floating support services

Apex’s Floating Support is a flexible support service to help you manage your tenancy and live independently. It enables people to manage their own home successfully, and we assist in this by providing practical support, advice and assistance in your home.

Our aim is to work with you towards moving on to greater independence and our Floating Support Officer will assist as follows:

• Write a plan with you about what you want to achieve and how we can help or support you get there
• Help you look for other advice or support that we cannot provide for you
• Advise you about managing your home
• Advise you about managing money, bills or debts which might include claiming welfare benefits
• Support you to reach goals that you may have (for example, helping you to access training or employment)
• Help you to access other services in the community such as legal advice, education, health care, leisure, cultural or religious facilities
• Advise or support you on personal issues or offer guidance on how to tackle a problem.

What kind of specific support can I receive?

The Floating Support Officer can assist with the following issues:

• Understanding the terms of your tenancy – rights and responsibilities in conjunction with your landlord
• Assist you in contacting your landlord on a number of issues
• Guidance on furnishing your home
• Advice and guidance on relationships with neighbours/problems with harassment/ noise nuisance or anti-social behaviour
• Maximising income by claiming welfare benefits
• Basic budgeting and money management, issues around debt
• General correspondence, opening a bank account, managing bills etc.
• Steps to minimise social isolation and seek emotional support
• Enabling access to information around education employment or training
• Putting you in touch with other agencies which can provide you with advice, services and support

This list is not exhaustive but it gives you a picture of the kind of support we are usually able to provide.

What it does not provide?

Floating Support is not about “hands on” care. If people need that type of support then it is provided in other ways. Floating Support is not about helping people with:

• Physical assistance – washing, bathing, shaving, toileting, feeding, personal care
• Therapeutic programmes e.g. specialist counselling such as bereavement, abuse, relationships, drug and alcohol misuse
• Issuing and enforcing occupancy agreements
• Organising and repair of properties or contents where this is a landlord issue
• Childcare
• Supervision of court orders and Probation programmes
• Participating in Drug Treatment And Testing Orders
• Statutory after-care services

Who is eligible for Floating Support?

To be eligible you must be aged over 18 and not covered by the Children’s Act (Leaving Care). You must also be vulnerable in clearly identifiable ways, for example having:

• Been homeless or a rough sleeper
• A history of offending or being at risk of offending
• Mental health problems
• Learning disabilities
• At risk of domestic violence
• Teenage pregnancy
• Difficulty coping or being at risk
• Drug and alcohol problems

We also see as vulnerable anyone who meets any two of the following:

• Low level health status
• Unemployed
• Homeless or inadequately housed
• English not being your first language
• Low income