Frequently Asked Questions




Who provides the service? How are LHC funded? What types of property do you offer? How do I apply for a place for my client? What is your criteria for admission? Is there a waiting list? How long will my client be able to stay in your accommodation? What support will be given to my client once they move into your accommodation? Who will be responsible for repairs and maintenance to the property? Do you have an equal opportunities policy? What is your quality policy?


Who provides the service? Services to client groups ae provided by teams of dedicated Project Workers who are line-managed by a Team Leader who is on-site How is LHC funded? LHC is mainly finded by grants from Supporting People. Other funding is received from Leeds City Council Social Services Department and private funders. Link here to Sponsors page What types of property do you offer? Housing managed by LHC is available in hostels, group homes, and independent accommodation in the community. All the houses managed by the organisation are fully renovated and are furnished to a high standard. The hostels are all large houses renovated and converted to provide communal kitchens, dining areas, lounges, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and between 8 and 13 bedrooms. Group homes are ordinary two, three or four bedroomed houses in residential areas. The organisation has recently acquired management of a number of single persons units which have enabled users needs to be met more effectively. The hostel for women who wish to continue drinking is a new build property and comprises six individual flats with some communal areas. How do I apply for a place for my client? Leeds Housing Concern accepts referrals from a wide variety of organisations including local housing offices, the Housing Advice Centre, the Probation Service, other Voluntary Sector hostels or Social Services Offices. If the client is not in touch with any of these types of organisation, he / she can also make a referral for themselves. The scheme Team is responsible for dealing with referrals for housing or day care services and for deciding who will be offered a vacancy. This will follow a thorough risk and needs assessment. Referrals for accommodation: When assessing your referral, Leeds Housing Concern will: Gather as much information from your client as possible in order to make a quick decision. If further information is necessary they may be asked to attend an interview within 24 hours. This may be at their place of residence or at the scheme). Offer advice about applying to other agencies Follow our published policies and procedures Aim to process all completed referrals within 7 working days If your referral has not been accepted, give reasons why. Offers of Accommodation: If we make your client an offer of accommodation, Leeds Housing Concern will: Tell them what the rent will be. Encourage them to view the property if possible. Indicate when their tenancy is likely to start. Provide an opportunity for them to appeal if you disagree with our decision. The Tenancy: We want to provide the client with an excellent housing management service. In providing these services, the scheme Team will: Explain the clients rights and responsibilities as a tenant. Ensure that Leeds Housing Concern complies with the provisions of the Tenants’ Charter as appropriate Ensure that the client is consulted on matters concerning their tenancy. Ensure that the client has opportunities to influence the Organisations’ activities through consultation and involvement in its work. Aim to offer information translated into various languages and will, if necessary, endeavour / attempt to arrange for a tranlator or language signer. All documentation required to make a referral is available for download - see our downloads page. What is your criteria for admission? LHC operates a policy of inclusion. Each referral having first met the specific admission criteria of the various schemes, will be assessed from the starting point of inclusion. Carbeck: Homeless women over 40 who choose to continue to drink. Carr Beck works in conjunction with health professionals, social service teams and voluntary agencies to offer a holistic approach to clients' support needs Potterdale: Older people with enduring mental health needs.People over 50 years of age who experience enduring mental health issues and/or are isolated within the community. Sahara: Black women who are experiencing homelessness and social disadvantage as a result of mental and/or physical violence. This can include: women with children, single women, white women with black children. Sinclair: Men and women over the age of 16 who are active drug users. The strategic aim of the scheme is one of harm reduction. Sojourner: Single homeless young people aged 16-25 years Womens Sector: Single women who, in addition to being homeless, may also have suffered violence, intimidation abuse and harassment. The sector also works with women who have physical or mental health issues, a background of offending, or a drugs/substance use problem. Young Persons: Single homeless young people aged 16-25 with varying and multiple care needs. Is there a waiting list? All schemes at some time will operate waiting lists. How long will my client be able to stay in your accommodation? LHC in the main provides short to medium term supported housing with the aim of helping service users move on to more independent living arrangements. Your length of stay will be determined by the level of your support needs and circumstances but LHC in all cases offers at least 6 months of accommodation and support. The specific maximum length of stay for each specific scheme is as follows: Carr Beck - 2+ years The Hollies - 2 weeks The Men's Sector - 6 months Naos - 6 months Pennington - 2 weeks Sahara - 6 months Sinclair - 2 years Sojourner - 6 months Sustain - 2 years Women's Sector - 6 months Young Persons' Project - 6 months Potterdale - has no set time limits on how long can be provided for but the scheme will seek to promote move on at a time that suitable with the service user. Support needs will be assessed and reviewed every 6 months. At this time it will be considered whether an individual service user still requires the support of the scheme or whether timescales should be set for move on in the future. What support will be given to my client once they move into your accommodation? We want to provide the client with a high quality support service that meets their needs. Providing an effective support service depends on the co-operation of everyone involved. This means that they will be at the centre of assessing needs to enable us to offer support which is in line with their needs and wishes. The client's Key Worker will: • Meet with the client on at least two occasions during the first week of your residence in order to asses your needs. • Meet with them at least once every week of your stay at the scheme. These meetings will agree the areas in which they need help and with which we can help. This might include areas like: • Helping then to find independent accommodation • Giving them information and advice about applications for benefits • Helping them to manage outstanding debts and to mange their rent payments • Giving them information and advice as to how to get the best from other support agencies, such as Social Services • Agree with them who should be involved in the work to meet their needs • Keep all information we have about them confidential unless they agree that we can share information with other organisations, or there is a serious risk to someone else or a serious breach of the law. • Help them to arrange support from other agencies to get them settled into independent accommodation when they leave the scheme. Once the client have moved in to the scheme, they will be designated a Key Worker who will have responsibility for working with them. However, if they need help or advice at a time when their key worker is not available, any other member of the scheme Team will try to ensure that they get the help or advice that they need. If they cannot help themselves, they will make sure that the client's Key Worker is aware of his / her needs when they return to the scheme. Who will be responsible for repairs and maintenance to the property? Leeds Housing Concern is responsible for ensuring that the properties within the scheme are well maintained and safe to live in. The scheme Team will handle all repair requests from tenants and the ordering of repairs to the Organisation’s approved maintenance contractors. They will: • Ensure that properties are clean, habitable and in good repair when offered to new tenants. • Inform the client about the Organisations’ repair responsibilities through their tenancy agreement. • Inform the client about their own repair responsibilities through their tenancy agreement. • Ensure that the client is able to report repairs easily using the most appropriate method of communication for them. • Ensure that emergency repairs are attended to within 24 hours. • Ensure that urgent repairs are attended to within 7 days. • Ensure that routine repairs are attended to within 28 days. • Politely and clearly state when and why the Organisation cannot carry out certain repairs. • Advise the client as early as possible of any repairs that we will need to charge you for. • As far as is possible, make an appointment to inspect specific repairs at a time convenient to the client. • Ensure that contractors follow our code of conduct when present at your property. • Ask the client's opinion on all aspects of our repairs performance. Do you have an equal opportunities policy? Equal Opportunities underpins the Organisation and it is the aim of Leeds Housing Concern to ensure there is no unlawful or unjustifiable discrimination on the grounds of age, appearance, disability, gender, HIV status, language ability, literacy, nationality, race, religion, or sexuality. The organisation is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity in all its activities, both as a housing and Day Care provider and as an employer. Leeds Housing Concern will aim to: • Ensure all sections of the community have access to the services we offer and obtain the maximum benefit from them. • Regularly check that all our policies are in line with appropriate legislation and codes of practice. • Keep anonymous records of all applicants’ gender, disability and ethnic origin to help us monitor our performance in the provision of services to all sections of the community. • Require all our staff to observe our Equal Opportunities policy in all aspects of the service they offer to you. • Respond within two working days to any allegations of harassment of any kind made by or against tenants and their families or the Organisation’s staff and take action to enforce the law or the tenancy agreement wherever possible. This statement sets out briefly the standards of service that tenants and service users, as well as applicants for housing and day care services can expect at Leeds Housing Concern schemes. If you would like more copies of this service pledge, please contact our Central office on (0113) 276 0616. What is your quality policy? If you contact the Organisation in person, by letter or telephone you can expect our staff to be courteous and deal with any enquiry in a helpful, fair and friendly manner. If you visit our scheme office, Leeds Housing Concern will: • Ensure that an appropriate member of staff sees you, or an appointment is made, within ten minutes of your arrival. • Ensure that any prior appointment you have made is kept to, within ten minutes. • Arrange for an interpreter or language signer if necessary. • Conduct sensitive or confidential interviews in private and protect access to confidential information accordingly. • Confirm in writing any agreements made with you. If you telephone or write to us, Leeds Housing Concern will: • Answer the telephone promptly and politely • Acknowledge your letter or reply as promptly as possible, within 10 working days. • Arrange interviews at your residence where you cannot visit the office. • Confirm in writing any agreements made with you. If we visit you in your own home, for a support visit after you have left the scheme, Leeds Housing Concern will: • Make a prior appointment which is convenient to you. • Aim to arrive within 15 minutes of that appointment time or contact you beforehand to rearrange it. • Carry identification and give you our names.