You may want to live independently as you get older. It is important that you have choices and control when making decisions about housing. For young people with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, independent living options will be discussed as part of transition planning from Year 9 onwards.
A young person describes her journey into supported living.
Living independently depends upon your ability to make decisions on your own. This ability is called ‘mental capacity’ and it will be assessed by a social worker or relevant staff who work with young people. Staff also use an independence scale (linked PDF) to assess an individual’s suitability for accommodation types.
Brent provides a range of schemes for young people aged 18+ with medium and high care and support needs. These include Supported Living, Shared Lives as well as residential and nursing care. Visit our housing support pages for further information.
Brent can provide support at home for young people with physical disabilities via direct payments after an assessment by an occupational therapist (OT).
An OT may make a referral for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to help adapt the home environment and promote independence. If only minor adaptations are required, the family will be advised to purchase the equipment, if it does not fall within the category funded by the local authority. If the OT identifies other social care needs, an ongoing care package will be put in place for the young person.
If you have a long-term disability the HOLD scheme could help you buy any home for sale on a shared ownership basis (part rent/part buy). You could buy a share of your home (between 25 and 75 per cent of the home’s value) and pay rent on the remaining share.
If you are interested in renting a council or housing association property in Brent you must register first. It is not always the right option for everyone and many people face a long wait. We will always give priority to those with the greatest housing needs.
An Occupational Health Team member explains the Independence Scale:
