Tenancy Support Service

The Council offers tenancy support services to residents who are experiencing difficulties and may be at risk of losing their homes.  The service is provided by the Council’s Social Inclusion Team based in the Housing Needs Department.

If you would like to find out about practical ways we can help you stay in your home, visit the Living at Home pages of our adult social care website, People First.

How do I qualify for tenancy support?

We need to find out more about your circumstances to see if you qualify for support. This is called an assessment. We can offer assessments to:

  • all residents (aged 18 and over) living in the Royal Borough
  • all residents (aged 18 and over) who are placed in temporary accommodation outside of the borough by the Council's Housing and Homelessness Assessment Team
  • residents who are not managing their homes and are at significant risk of losing them and becoming homeless as a result. 

How can the service help?

The service aims to provide support and help in the following areas:

  • addressing rent arrears
  • advice and assistance on re-housing options
  • maximising income and budgeting skills
  • referrals to specialist services to meet identified health, financial and/or social needs. This may include employment, education, training, statutory health and social care services, local community and voluntary sector organisations
  • practical, social and emotional support
  • accessing services in the local community
  • referrals to furniture schemes
  • help and advice about finding a school, childcare and financial resources
  • help and advice about finding and registering with a GP.

The Tenancy Support Service cannot help you with social care activities such as shopping or cleaning. We can refer you to specialist services if you would like us to and we feel you need this help. We cannot guarantee you will be accepted for a specialist service if you do not qualify for the type of assistance they offer.

Referral and assessment process

You can contact the Tenancy Support Service directly or be referred by family and friends, a housing officer or other professional such as a social worker, GP or nurse.

If someone else refers you, you must agree to this as we will have to collect personal information about you.

There is a standard referral form, which you or the person who refers you will have to complete. It collects basic information about you and why you are at risk of losing your home. Professionals such as GPs and social workers will also have to send us extra reports such as risk and needs assessments.

The information on the form will help us to see if you are eligible for support. If we think you are, we will arrange an assessment meeting with you so we can ask you some more questions. This is to make sure you are eligible for the service, to find out more about your needs and decide who can best help you. If you are not eligible, we will write and tell you of our decision. We will give you information about other services that may be able to help you.

Support plan

If you are accepted for this service, we will create a support plan for you from the information gathered during the assessment. This may involve other relevant people such as family members, a housing officer or social worker.

Once you and the TSO have developed a support plan, you will begin to work towards meeting the goals set out in the plan. The service aims to work with you for a maximum of six months. The TSO will be in regular contact with you via telephone calls, emails, letters and meetings to help you to reach your goals. You can choose to end the service at any time.

How to get in touch

You can contact us directly, or you could ask a member of your family or a friend or a professional working with you to contact us on your behalf. You or whoever is referring to the service will need to complete a referral form, which can be sent to:

Tenancy Support Service
Social Inclusion Team
74-76 Pembroke Road
London W8 6NX

Fax: 020 7751 0216
Email: SIT@rbkc.gov.uk