Learning Difficulties Floating Support Project

Descriptions

This is a time-limited, medium intensity floating support project for people with learning difficulties or low level learning disabilities. Support will be provided to people whether or not they are in receipt of or eligible for help from statutory social services, but will focus on those who are likely to dip in and out of statutory services at times of difficulty or crisis.Service users will be people of both genders, aged 18 or over who currently live in Denbighshire and are either homeless or threatened with homelessness. All service users will have been identified as needing support in a number of areas to enable them to independently manage their housing tenure (e.g. their tenancy). It is expected that service users will be supported for a maximum of 6 months (as appropriate to their needs), before moving on to live independently in the community or onto a community based project with lower level support.The project will support a minimum of 5 people at any one time. Support worker hours will be managed dynamically and will be allocated flexibly in response to service user need. Service user numbers will be expected to normally exceed the minimum level as new service users join the project while support is gradually withdrawn from those service users approaching the completion of their support. The project will be expected to have the capacity to accept urgent referrals as may be required from time to time.Staff will deliver support activities in service users’ own accommodation and the community.Project Aims:Ensuring that people with learning difficulties or low level learning disabilities who are not consistently engaged with statutory social services are able to access support to maintain their housing tenure and live as independently as possible.Supporting service users to take practical steps to reduce vulnerability and the risk of exploitation (e.g. setting up bank accounts, direct debits, internet shopping to minimise opportunities for financial abuse etc) and to develop positive safe habits, routines and behaviours which they can sustain independently.Supporting service users to develop habits, routines and behaviours which help to prevent crises and difficulties from arising as far as possible.Where appropriate, contributing to a reduction in service users’ dependence on statutory social services to manage recurrent periods of difficulty or crisis.Where necessary, supporting people to access statutory and other services as appropriate to their needsPreventing people from presenting as homeless or potentially homeless.Contributing to a reduction in homelessness among people with learning difficulties or learning disabilities.Enabling people to live more independently in the community.Promoting a stable lifestyle.Project Outcomes:Service users will be able to move on to independent living wherever possible, or else to a lower intensity support project.Service users will be able to sustain increased independent living in the long term.Service users will be better able to access and engage with the services they need.Service users will be better able to manage their lives and affairs in a manner which minimises vulnerability and the risk of exploitationService users will be better able to avoid or cope with crises and other situations which cause stress or anxiety