Sheltered housing

What sheltered housing is, who can live in sheltered housing, where you could live, how much is costs, before you apply, how to apply, what happens next, and other sheltered housing providers.

What sheltered housing is

Sheltered housing is designed to meet the needs of older people.

These properties offer you the independence of having your own home, with the safety of having an alarm system and sheltered housing officer service.

Sheltered housing is usually made up of a group of flats in a small building complex.

We provide 10 sheltered housing complexes in Renfrewshire. There are also 10 complexes provided by housing associations.

Our sheltered housing flats are accessible for people with mobility problems and include:

safe bathrooms with doors which can be opened from the outside in an emergency
lowered light switches and raised sockets to make them easier to use
controlled entry and an emergency call system.

Our sheltered housing officers look after the complexes and make sure the residents are safe and well.

We provide the sheltered housing officer service 7 days a week, from 8am to 2pm. Officers work at more than one complex and will spend part of the day at each one.

If a sheltered housing officer is not at a complex, you can contact them during these hours through the emergency call system.

Each complex has a shared lounge where social activities take place, including events by local organisations and groups.

Many of our complexes have extra facilities, including a laundry room, garden, and a guest flat.

Guest flats are for visiting relatives or friends, and you should book these in advance. There is a small charge per night for the guest room.

What our sheltered housing officers can do

respond to emergencies
carry out morning checks to make sure you are well
make sure the emergency alarm system is always working
encourage and support you to take part in social activities
make sure all personal information is confidential and is only shared with others you have agreed to
provide general assistance, including supporting you to arrange minor repairs, and help to fill in forms or contact other services.

What our sheltered housing officers cannot do

help with medication
do your shopping for you
assist or prepare meals or snacks
carry out financial transactions for you or look after your financial affairs
help you to get washed or dressed.

If you need additional housing support, you could get:

a type of housing called very sheltered housing
a type of housing called extra care housing, for more personal care support
a place in a care home
housing support at home.

You can contact the Adult Services Referral Team (ASeRT) at Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership by phoning 0300 300 1380 to discuss what services may be available.

Who can live in sheltered housing

Sheltered housing is available for people aged 60 or over who have a housing support need.

Where you could live

We have 10 sheltered housing complexes across Renfrewshire. Each complex contains between 14 and 42 self-contained homes, which include a kitchen, bathroom, private toilet and living area.

Our complexes are:

Altpatrick Gardens, Paisley
Houston Court, Johnstone
The Oaks Complex, Johnstone
Darkwood Court, Paisley
Gallacher Court, Paisley
Rowan Gardens, Paisley
Speirsfield Gardens, Paisley
Springbank Complex, Paisley
Fulbar Court, Renfrew
Monkdyke House, Renfrew.

Sheltered housing services are inspected by the Care Inspectorate Scotland. You can view the latest inspection reports on the Care Inspectorate Scotland website.

How much it costs

All sheltered housing properties are rented. You cannot buy your sheltered housing property.

How you pay for sheltered housing will depend on your income or how much money you have saved.

You could get benefits to help pay your rent, such as Universal Credit or Housing Benefit.

By moving into sheltered housing, you are also agreeing to use our sheltered housing officer service.

In addition to your rent, the sheltered housing officer service costs up to £12.96 per week, but many residents pay much less than this.

The Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership will carry out an assessment of your income to calculate how much, if anything, you may have to pay.

Before you apply

Before you start, you'll need to register for MyAccount through mygov.scot. If you've already registered, you do not need to do it again. 

You must have a current application for housing with us before you can be considered for a property in our sheltered housing complexes.

If you do not have a current application for housing with us, you can complete our housing options application form online.

You do not have to finish the form all at once. You can save your progress and come back to it later.

How to apply

If you would like to speak to someone about sheltered housing at one of our complexes, phone our housing advice service on 0300 300 0222 and select option 2.

To apply for sheltered housing provided by a housing association, you should contact the provider directly.

What happens next

We will pass your application to our assessment panel, who will send a letter to let you know their decision.

Other sheltered housing providers

A number of housing associations in Renfrewshire also provide sheltered housing. These are:

Some housing associations also provide the option of retirement housing. This is like sheltered housing, but with no onsite staff.

Housing associations in Renfrewshire that provide retirement housing are:

Applications for housing at these locations are handled by the individual housing associations.

You should visit the complexes before you apply to help you decide which one is best for you.

If you want to apply for housing at one of these locations, you'll need to contact the housing association directly.

More information

For more information about locations and types of sheltered housing provided in Renfrewshire, contact our housing advice service by:

phone: 0300 300 0222
email: housingadvice.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Renfrewshire Council