Housing with help nearby (extra care)

Extra Care helps you remain independent in a flat with your own front door.

Staff will be available on site to help and support with your day to day tasks or personal care needs.

Life changes, health problems or feeling unsafe or isolated are reasons why you might consider extra care.

Extra Care residents have the security and privacy of their own home often with extra facilities on the premises and support staff based on site. 

• You live at home - not in a home
• You have your own front door and decide who comes in
• Support staff are on duty 24 hours a day
• You get support to keep your independence
• You can join in social activities if you choose to do so
• You keep control over things such as bills

Depending on your income, you may have to pay for Extra Care. Charges are based on your financial circumstances and ability to pay.

A Financial Assessment Officer will work out if you have to pay towards the cost of your care and if so, how much this will be. See finance and paying for care.

You will need to pay rent and a service charge (you might get Housing Benefit to help with this cost) and all the usual bills you would pay for in your own home - such as gas, electricity, council tax and water.

There are 5 Extra Care schemes currently in South Tyneside:

• Hagan Hall, Jarrow
• Campbell Court, Hebburn
• Bramble Court, South Shields
• Clasper Court, South Shields
• Blenkisop Court, South Shields

To apply for Extra Care, you must have a valid care need and be referred by a social worker or professional in Adult Social Care.

The social worker will need to carry out a needs assessment to see if you or the person applying meets the correct criteria.

If you meet the criteria for extra care, the social worker will present your case to a panel.

This panel will consist of key people within Adult Social Care and Extra Care who will decide if your needs will be best met by you living in Extra Care.

You will find out the decision generally within a week of the panel meeting. 

If you are accepted

If you are accepted, you will told about the next steps. This would involve a visit to the scheme to meet with the Housing Manager and the Care Manager to make sure needs can be met and to view the property.

You will then be given 1 week to decide if this is the right decision for you. 

If you are not accepted

If you are not accepted, the Social Worker will tell you what the next steps would be depending on the reason you were declined. 

For example, there may not have been any places at the scheme chosen so another scheme could be looked at as an alternative.