Renfrewshire Council

Housing support for vulnerable people

The housing support team will support you if you have difficulty living independently because of homelessness, learning disabilities, addiction, mental illness, age, convictions or domestic abuse.

We help people who have difficulty sustaining independent living, but do not need long term personal care services.

We aim to meet the needs of individuals and households who require assistance—in particular, to prevent tenancy failure and repeat homelessness.

This support may be in the form of:

  • advice and general counselling
  • personal budgeting
  • debt counselling
  • welfare benefit claims
  • assisting to engage with individuals or services
  • helping people manage a tenancy
  • the rights and responsibilities of a tenancy
  • helping people settle into a new tenancy.

The length of time that housing support will be provided will depend on the individual support plan which will be developed and agreed with you (the service user).

Reviews will be carried out every six months, unless the need for an earlier review has been identified and agreed.

There is no charge for our housing support service. We may support you for up to two years. Should your needs not be fully met within this two-year period, we will offer you advice and assistance to find appropriate services which can provide the help you require.

Where high level or complex needs are identified when developing the support plan, the housing support team will assist an individual to access alternative long-term services.


How you can access our service 

The housing support team support people who are homeless or considered vulnerable within the community and may be at risk of losing their home.

The team will provide support to assist people to move into and maintain a tenancy and help them to live independently.

We will support adults of all ages regardless of tenure, whose housing situation is vulnerable due to:

  • being homeless, or at risk of homelessness
  • learning disabilities
  • addiction(s) issues
  • mental ill issues
  • age
  • convictions
  • domestic abuse.

How to make a referral

Complete and return the housing support referral form [74KB] to Elaine Sales, housing support coordinator, at housingsupportreferral@renfrewshire.gov.uk, or phone 0300 300 0344.


What happens next

Our housing support coordinator will initially assess a referral and allocate it to an appropriate housing support officer within three working days of receiving the referral.

The housing support officer will contact the individual who is being referred within three working days of receiving the referral, and agree a date and time to meet.

The referrer will be advised on the steps being taken within two working days of contact being established.


Additional support

Some people may need help with personal care, like dressing, bathing or preparing food.

The housing support team are unable to provide these services, but we can assist you if you require any further information on this or arrange an assessment on your behalf.

Alternatively, you can contact the adult services request team at Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership on 0300 300 1380, who will arrange an assessment for you.