Information for service users
How it Works
Once you have been referred to SHPS we will work with you to develop a Personalised Housing Plan (PHP) to understand your housing need and how best we can support you to either remain in your current accommodation or find somewhere more suitable to live.
Each customer will be assigned a case worker who will identify a series of actions both the customer and case worker need to complete. Actions may include speaking to your landlord to agree rental payments, mediation between family members, signposting to additional support services or attending a viewing of a property.
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Once you have been supported to secure accommodation, your case worker will check in monthly with you to see how things are going and provide additional support where needed for up to 8 months.
Support with accommodation
The SHPS team will help you work with your current landlord where possible to stop you from becoming homeless. This may include you developing a new arrears payment plan or some other intervention.
If you need to access new accommodation, we will help you to identify this. We work with landlords in the private and social sector along with supported accommodation providers where extra support might be needed.
We will ensure any accommodation found is affordable based on your income and expenditure. The accommodation you are able to access will be different dependent on your age and employment / benefit status. For example, if you are under 35 in the majority of cases you will only be eligible for a room in shared accommodation unless you meet the exemption criteria set by government (your case worker can advise you of this).
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Despite our support, access to private rented accommodation is difficult with limited properties available. You will need to be flexible in the areas you are willing to live and in the type of accommodation you are willing to accept. We are not able to offer you numerous viewings until you get the perfect property. You need to be aware of this and manage your expectations around the type of property and accommodation you will be able to access.
Why work with SHPS
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We get to know you and understand your needs, allocating you a named case worker to work with.
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We will build relationships with landlords to be able to access properties to meet your needs, ensuring that all tenancies issues are for a minimum 6-month period and are affordable and in line with what Universal Credit will cover.
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We will work with you to enable you to sustain current accommodation and resolve outstanding issues where possible.
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Your case worker will know the welfare benefit system and will be able to support you around your benefit entitlement, maximising your income where possible.
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We can attend viewings of properties with you and will ensure you understand your rights and responsibilities as well as those of the landlords before signing up to a tenancy.
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SHPS have working agreements with Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in Norfolk to be able to identify payment issues and provide up to date information to you, enabling problems to be resolved quickly.
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We will work with you to ensure that Benefit forms are submitted with all information required to process claims quickly.
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We provide ongoing support to you for at least 8 months after homelessness has been prevented or relieved with minimum monthly check ins to ensure no further risk of homelessness.
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SHPS are able to signpost and engage additional support services where needed to reduce the likelihood of further issues arising. This includes access to employment services to support you to access work opportunities, increasing your independence and ability to sustain your property.
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We are paid for the results we get so will work flexibly to ensure we achieve positive outcomes with you.
What we expect from you:
We expect you to work with us and commit to completing actions identified to resolve your housing need.
You will need to be open to moving to a new area as housing is limited and there are not infinite properties available.
Commitment to engage with our service and work with us to resolve your housing need.
How to get in touch:
If you have a housing need, live in Norfolk and are looking for support please contact:
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Breckland, North Norfolk & West Norfolk:
SHPSReferrals@benjaminfoundation.co.uk
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Broadland & South Norfolk
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East Norfolk