Accommodation Options: Copeland Borough

Accommodation Options: Copeland Borough

Accommodation Options: Copeland Borough

Support to identify appropriate accommodation options can be sought from:

  • Gemma Coward(Copeland BoroughCouncil, Housing Options Team) on 01946 598431 / 07342 062 377;
  • Amanda Star(Copeland Borough Council, Housing Options Team) on 01946 598427;
  • Diane Harrison (Children’s Services, 16-17 yr olds Homeless Team) on 078 7665 0164;
  • Helen Walker (Children’s Services, 16-17yr olds Homeless Team)on07825 340 628.

Please seek support at an early stage; any move is best done in a planned way and discussions around accommodation can begin as early as 15/16 years as part of the pathway planning, even if the young person does not plan to move on immediately.

For further information around young people’s housing options in Cumbria and living independently, please check out:

Supported Accommodation Options: Young People (16-24 years)

Homestay

Homestay is a County Council run supported lodgings scheme, with people offering a young person a room in their home and support to enable them to develop independent living skills on a respite basis. Homestays can also offer support to young people in their homes. Contact: Deborah Adams 0782 789 3237.

Young People’s Supported Accommodation

The provider of supported accommodation for young people in Copeland is Impact Housing Association through the Central Access Point (CAP). This can be for up to 6 months, although extensions may be granted in exceptional circumstances (for 16-17 yr olds, their stay will be until they reach their 18th birthday). Supported accommodation for young people aged 16 – 25 year olds is available at Whitehaven Foyer. For 16-17 year olds, the referral process requires completion of the First Contact Script with the consent element signed (can be found in the relevant Local Commitment at The young person should be supported to do this by their Social Worker/Pathways Advisor.

Young people aged 18+ need to complete a CAP referral form. Find this at Acceptances are dependent on vacancies, appropriateness of the referral & the needs of other residents as determined by the individual project. Contact: Lou Gray (Impact) 07843470647.

There is a new Mother & Baby Accommodation project for young mothers aged 16yrs +, which will be open by 16th October andrun by the Whitehaven Community Trust. Referrals will be accepted from 1st September 2017. For further details, and for the referral form, please contact Kerry Maxwell on 01946 590590.

August 17

Accommodation Options for Young People(18years+)

Turning Point

Turning Point offer short termsupported accommodation for adults aged 18+ with a total number of 4 beds, based at 53 Duke Street Whitehaven. Contact: 01900 873301.

Stonham

Stonham offer short term support accommodation for adults aged 18+ with a number dispersed properties across the borough. Contact: 03001 317984.

Calderwood House

Calderwood House is a local voluntary organisation based in Egremont, which provides 24 hours supportforthose aged 18+ in need of accommodation; in particular they prioritiseex military personnel. Calderwood House is an abstinence-based project, which means drugs and alcohol are not allowed. They have regular drug and alcohol testing on site. Contact: Copeland Borough Council on 01946 598 300 for referral details.

Cumbria Choice-Based Letting Scheme

Cumbria Choice-Based Letting Scheme (Cumbria CBL) offers a range of social rented properties from housing associations such as Home Group, Impact and Two Castles. This can be accessed through an online bidding system, for young people aged 18+. Available properties are advertised on the CBL website; young people need to register on the website and then are able to bid on properties. Bids are prioritised based on bands A – E in line with Cumbria Choice policy. Band A is classed as “Urgent Need.” Care leavers and young people moving on from supported accommodation are eligible to go into Band B (on confirmation of their eligibility). Offers for properties are made to applicants in order of their banding (so if no-one in Band A, B or C applies for a property, the property could be offered as a first choice to an applicant in Band D). Contact: Home Group (HA): 0345 141 4663; Impact HA: 0344 8736290; Two Castles: 0800 085 1171/ 0300 123 1747.

Private Rented Sector

Nearly all of Copeland's privately rented housing is owned by individual landlords who advertise vacancies in the local press and also on the private landlords’ list which is held by the Housing Options Team. Some estate agents also keep lists of privately rented accommodation. It is also worthwhile looking at the advertisement postcard displays in the shops in the area where the young person wants to live, especially newsagents and convenience stores. Adverts can often been found on internet sites such as Gumtree or social media e.g. Facebook. Alternatively young people can place an ad to say they are looking for a certain type of accommodation however checks will need to be carried out to ensure this is appropriate accommodation. If a young person is wanting to privately rent a flat, it is worth doing a budgeting exercise to ensure that they can afford the rent as additional bills such as Council Tax, electricity, gas and water will also be payable.

Emergency Accommodation

The above options are for planned moves; in case of immediate homelessness (i.e. “I am homeless tonight”), please refer to the Local Commitment for Copeland district and use the First Contact Script (

Nightstop

Nightstop is a Children Service’s commissioned scheme to deliver emergency housing. Nightstop uses trained volunteer hosts to provide overnight accommodation in their own homes. Nightstop can:

  • Be used to provide somerespitefor a young person while some family support is put in place to enable a return home.
  • Place some young people with a criminal record, history of substance misuse or previous aggressive behavior. They do the risk assessment on an individual, case-by-case basis and will look into the young person’s current situation, the circumstances around any past incidents, any possible triggers and other relevant information prior to them being placed in a host’s home. If any identified risks can be managed, and the young person can safely abstain from using any substances while they are with Nightstop, then they will still look to offer them a place.
  • Support with travel arrangements. Hosts are often happy to collect young people from the train station or bus stop, or an agreed half way point that the young person can get to. Sometimes they may have volunteer drivers available to assist with transport.
  • Offer a young person their own room, access to washing facilities such as shower, washing machine, an evening meal, breakfast the following morning.
  • Prioritise a young person who is already using Nightstop, for a placement the following night, if they or the referral agency contact them before midday the following day.
  • Place a young person without a local connection to a specific area.

Contacts: Sharon Jackson,, 07958 447477 / Jade Doherty, , 07399580459.

Copeland Borough Council

If you have nowhere to stay you may be eligible to be provided with emergency accommodation, however this will depend on your personal circumstances. The Council does not have a duty to provide emergency accommodation to everyone who is homeless and you will need to contact the Housing Options Service for an assessment of whether you meet the criteria for accommodation to be provided.

If it is not possible to prevent you from becoming homeless you may wish to make a full homeless application. There are five tests that the law requires all Local Authorities to apply to a homeless application in order to determine what duty, if any, may be owed to you:

  • Are you eligible for assistance?
  • Are you actually homeless, or are going to be within the next 28days?
  • Do you have a priority need for accommodation?
  • Are you intentionally homeless?
  • Do you have a local connection to the Copeland area?

Please contact the Housing Options Team on 01946 598300 to discuss this further.

Accommodation for Young People with Complex Needs

Other accommodation options may be available on a case by case basis, where complex needs can be demonstrated and the above accommodation options would not be appropriate. Alternative options should be discussed as part of the young person’s planning process.

Financial Assistance Available

Copeland Rent Deposit Scheme: The Copeland Rent Deposit Scheme comes in the form of a deposit guarantee. The deposit covers any uninsured loss or damage to a property for which the applicant is responsible, and can also be used to provide an upfront rent payment (1 month). Decisions are made on a case by case basis and the council will need to be satisfied that the applicant:

  • Is in housing need – the applicant is homeless or threatened with homelessness;
  • Has a local connection to the district (see below for further information on what this means);
  • Is aged 18 or over; and
  • Is on a low income (including benefits or employment) therefore does not have the financial means to access private rented accommodation without assistance through the scheme;
  • Has a suitable property - the property has to be inspected and passed by Copeland Borough Council’s Housing Inspectors; and
  • Has not accessed the scheme before or, if they have, has fully complied with the terms and conditions to the extent that the Council has received the deposit back from the landlord.

For further information and to make an appointment to discuss this further, please contact the Housing Options Team on 01946 598 300.

What does it mean to have a local connection?

Local connection is about your links with an area. You have a local connection with a local council's area if you fall into one of the following categories.

  • You live in the area

If you have lived in the area for six months out of the past 12, or three years out of the past five, you have a local connection.

You will not qualify if you have only lived in an area because you have been in a prison or a hospital there. But you do have a local connection if you were posted there by the armed forces.

  • You have close family in the area

You have close family, who have lived in the area for at least five years. Close family is limited to your mother, father, siblings or grown up children. You won't have a local connection with an area any dependent children live in, if this is different to where you live. You may also have a local connection if you were brought up in the area by a different family member such as an aunt, uncle or grandparent.

  • You work in the area

Your employment doesn't have to be full-time. Part-time work counts. Self-employed people can have a local connection if they mainly work in the council's area.

August 17

Housing Pathway (16+):Copeland

August 17

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