Family Intervention - Tenants First (Berneslai Homes) service

The Tenants First Service comprises a highly skilled team, with expert knowledge. Tenants are offered a range of specialist, tailored interventions to help them sustain their tenancies and enjoy where they live.

They do this by offering a personalised package of support for tenants experiencing difficulties, and work holistically in order to improve identified outcomes, in a solution focussed way. Tenants First offers a fresh approach to the way support is provided – tailoring interventions, working together with tenants and partner organisations in order to provide the support they need, when its needed.

Mental Health Housing Support Officers

The Mental Health Housing Support Officers provide flexible, responsive housing related support to tenants who:

  • Have low level mental health needs, which are affecting their ability to maintain a successful tenancy.
  • They work with tenants to provide a range of practical and emotional support and interventions in order to reduce the risk of tenancy failure.

Family Intervention Keyworkers

The dedicated key workers offer practical, hands on intensive support to tenants with multiple and complex needs. Utilising the evidence based Family Intervention methodology, we help families to identify their problems at the root cause, and after initial assessments, provide the family with a support plan which is achievable and realistic. The criteria for a key worker is that tenants are:

  • • Involved in criminal or anti-social behaviour.
  • • Struggling with a high level of debt.
  • • In danger of losing their home.
  • • Involved in domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
  • • Experiencing untreated/managed mental health problems.
  • • Experiencing untreated/managed physical health problems.
  • • Experiencing substance misuse problems.
  • • Caring for children in need (education/parenting/safeguarding).

Tenant Support Officers

The Tenant Support Officers provide specialist money management advice and support to tenants who have difficulties with:

  • • Tackling and reducing their rent arrears.
  • • Certain vulnerabilities which means they need help completing online applications for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support.
  • • Opening bank accounts.
  • • Budgeting.
  • • Dealing with additional rent charges due to under occupation sometimes known as ‘Bedroom Tax’.
  • • Universal Credit.

Furnished Tenancies

The service considers providing a furnished tenancy for applicants who are to become our new tenants and who:

• Do not own adequate furniture / are not in a position to reasonably afford to furnish their new home.

• Are vulnerable and have health or social problems.

 

 

 

Accessing the service

Contact the service via their contact form https://forms.berneslaihomes.co.uk/form/25 

Who should be referred

Families must give permission before they can be referred. We take referrals where there are households with multiple and complex needs, with at least two of the six following criteria being met within the family:

  1. Parents or children involved in crime or antisocial behaviour
  2. Children who have not been attending school regularly
  3. Children of all ages who need help and are identified as in need or are subject to aChild Protection Plan
  4. Adults out of work or at risk of financial exclusion or young people at risk of worklessness
  5. Families affected by domestic violence and abuse
  6. Parents and children with health problems

Key documents

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