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Membership Overview

Housing Options is a registered charity providing a national independent advisory service on housing and support options for people with learning disabilities, their carers and families, advocates and other professionals working with disabled people. Housing Options provides good quality information and advice which is hard to find elsewhere.

Housing Options was established in 1996 to give personalised solutions, a wider range of choice of where and how you live - private renting, home ownership and using family investment or property. We arel respected for our work with family carers, individuals and professionals and for the independent approach we provide.

Information and Advice: Housing Options provides good quality information and advice which it is hard to find elsewhere. The service is largely free to people with learning disabilities, their families and advocates and your membership fee helps us to provide this service directly to people who contact us. It is provided through:

• Advice by email letter or telephone: housing, support, money legal issues, benefits.
• Quick Briefs and Factsheets
• Members have direct access to this information and to the members detailed pages

National Influence: The service wants to influence policy and has been directly involved in campaigning issues that affect the opportunities for people with learning disabilities. Housing Options has directly contributed to the delivery plan for Valuing People and has produced publication at their request. Housing Options directly contributed to the recent DWP consultation and subsequent decisions on Housing Benefit relating to funding second bedrooms and continues to be involved in Ordinary Residence, Exempt Accommodation and benefit related policy.

The service has had contacts with the Department of Health and Valuing People Support Team and will continue to work with national and regional partners to deliver the same priorities. We also work with In Control, the Homes and Communities agencies, the National Housing Federation, housing associations and support providers. We are developing partnership relationships with national bodies such as ARC, ASL, NWTDT, Inclusion North, Paradigm and Mencap.

Regional Context: Housing Options has a range of partnerships at a regional level. In the South West we have worked closely with Valuing People and continue to facilitate a regional Housing Network which is open to anyone interested in the housing issues relevant to people with learning disabilities. In the North East Housing Options works closely with Inclusion North to deliver housing advice, options and training to Inclusion North’s members. In the South East we work with our member organisations.

Kent County Council are Housing Options members and have widely supported our work. Housing Options have contributed at the county wide provider events in the last few years along with providing training for providers funded by KCC.

Housing Options have also been invited to work with families in Kent areas on their housing options planning for the future.

Families and Carers: Housing Options has established a reputation for working well with and understanding the needs of family carers. We are invited to contribute to workshops, conference and events for carers and work closely with Carers organisations and groups. We have delivered 3 years of Department of Health funded workshops for Carers and Advocates and continue this work wherever possible. We have also worked with individual families and with groups facing change, such as the change from residential registered care provision to tenancies. Membership fees help to offer both information and advice for families along with some subsidised events. If this is something you would like to promote or discuss further please do let us know when discussing your membership.

'Regarding the service I have received so far from Housing Options, it has been first class. I have found your support invaluable, with information and expert advice given promptly and with sufficient detail to be really useful without being too 'technical' to understand. The support I am receiving is giving me the confidence to pursue all the options for my son. Even though there are many complications to consider, I feel that I will have access to the information and advice I need to help me through it all and find the right solution for my son. I cannot stress enough how important this support is in this increasingly difficult and complex environment. I would recommend Housing Options to anyone needing such assistance.'

Adults with learning disabilities: Housing Options work directly with people to consider their housing choices. Our website aims to be fully accessible and we have produced Housing Options guides, workshops and individual Housing Options plans.

Members

Housing Options members both support and benefit from the work of the service. Housing Options is funded in three ways: members' subscriptions and donations, grants for project work, fee income from workshops and publications.

Housing Options works with each member organisation in the way that best suits their own situation. Many members have regular and direct contact with advisors whilst others ensure that the service is widely promoted to family carers and frontline staff.
Housing Options can work with you on particular themes such as staff development, individual housing scenarios, funding analysis, preparing information and advice for people with learning disabilities, signposting and training.

'Overall very constructive and thought provoking. Obviously delivered with good knowledge which makes is relevant to us. Lots of references which will be useful'( Provider Event 2011)
'That's brilliant news, thanks so much for sorting out our recent housing benefit problem . It was so helpful that you liaised with Housing Benefit and Department for Work and Pensions.' I'm sure that supported living workers across the country will find this a useful point of reference' (Local Authority 2011)

Members represent Local Authorities, Health Trusts, Housing Associations and Providers of Support and Care across the country.

List of Housing Options Member Organisations

Our membership fees reflect the structure, size and scope of delivery for these organisations. We also have a family and individual membership.

Membership Benefits

The benefits of membership include:

• Access to information and advice.
• Direct access to Housing Options Advisors for all members of staff within your organisation
• Regular newsletters and information for members
• Email update of new information, training opportunities and briefings, resources, policy and benefits changes
• Direct contact with other Housing Options members
• Links to regional and national events

Housing Options now provide the following levels of membership -
Community Membership | Level 1
Organisation Membership | Level 2
Core Membership | Level 3
Carers Centre and Advocacy Group Membership | Level 4
Families/Individual Membership | Level 5
Associate Membership | Level 6

Details of benefits, who these differing memberships are for, costs and application forms follow below.

If you would like to discuss your options, membership arrangement and fees please contact us on 0845 456 1497, or e-mail us at enquiries@housingoptions.org.uk.