Extra Care housing

Extra Care housing is ideal for older people who want to live independently but may need some personal care or extra support with daily living.

A move to Extra Care accommodation may mean you do not have to move into a care home or it could reduce the amount of time you spend in a care home in the future. Couples, where just one of you has care needs, can continue living together.

Extra Care housing is provided by housing associations. They must ensure their accommodation is allocated to households who are in housing need and who do not have sufficient income, savings or assets to meet this housing need themselves through privately renting or purchasing accommodation. If you have substantial income, savings and/or assets and are not eligible for social rented Extra Care housing you will need to consider privately renting or purchasing Extra Care housing.

Hampshire County Council's website offers information about Extra Care along with a useful video to explain what Extra housing is.

What is Extra Care?

Extra care housing provides:

• your own flat, with your own kitchen, bedroom, living room, bathroom and front door
• qualified staff on-site to respond quickly to a variety of personal care and other support needs (planned and in emergency situations). This includes a team of care staff, commissioned by Adult Services, who are onsite 24 hours a day to administer your commissioned care. The amount of care you receive is assessed by Adult Services. Additional care will only be provided in an emergency. There is also a scheme manager who ensures that you receive the housing related support you need.
• a two course meal at lunchtime, seven days a week. Meals are included as compulsory element of your rental charge.
• a safe and supportive environment in buildings close to local facilities
• shared facilities, such as a laundry, restaurant, hairdressing, lounges and gardens
• social activities organised by residents' groups and supported by care staff

Who can apply?

You can apply for Extra Care housing in Basingstoke and Deane if you:

• are aged 55 and over
• live in the borough
• are eligible for Adult Services care, and are assessed as needing a care support package, and
• have savings or assets below £30,000 including the value of any owned property

If you have savings over £30,000 and/or own or have a legal interest in a property in the UK or abroad you may still be eligible to apply for Extra Care housing. We will look at your circumstances on an individual basis.

How to apply

To be considered for Extra Care housing you must first apply to join the ‘housing register’ which is managed by the council.

Our ‘Homebid’ website is where you apply to join the housing register. Once on the Homebid website, click on the ‘Register’ link on the right-hand side to start your application. Applications usually take 20 minutes to complete.

Apply to join the housing register

If you are unable to access a computer, or do not have family member that can help you with the application, then please contact us on 01256 844844.

How we assess your application

When we have your form, we will assess your application and liaise with Adult Services regarding your care and support needs. Once they have confirmed whether your care needs are considered low, medium or high you will be assigned a care band and placed onto the waiting list. We will write to you to confirm this along with your care and housing register banding.

Trial stays

Sometimes, before you can be placed onto the waiting list for Extra Care housing you may be asked to spend one to two weeks at the short-stay assessment suite at either Abbey Court or Newman Court. This is to ensure your care needs can be met within an Extra Care environment and to determine if this housing is right for you. Both schemes offer this period of assessment, and it will need to be arranged via the individual scheme's manager.

After your stay, the Extra Care housing scheme will contact Adult Services to confirm whether extra care housing is a suitable environment for you. You can express your opinions on the stay too. If after your stay, Extra Care housing can meet your care and support then you will be placed on to the waiting list held by the council.

Please be aware that once you have arranged your trial stay with the scheme manager, if an emergency arises for an existing tenant or resident of the Extra Care scheme you plan to stay at, it may be that your trial stay is postponed. Whilst this is unlikely, it is something that we need to make you aware of.

Location of Extra Care housing

Abbey Court, Popley Way, Popley, Basingstoke – Vivid Housing Association

A total of 51 one bedroom flats with on-site care staff (24 hours), residential management staff, community alarm service and short-stay assessment facilities.

Newman Court, Barber Road, Brighton Hill, Basingstoke – Saxon Weald
A total of 64 one and two bedroom flats – 34 affordable rented, 30 shared equity and one short-term recuperation suite with on-site care staff (24 hours), non-resident management staff and community alarm service.

Buy or Private Rent Extra Care housing

Extra Care properties are also available to buy or privately rent.

At Newman Court there are 30 one and two bedroom apartments available for purchase on a shared equity basis. Buyers purchase a 75% share of the property with no rent to pay on the 25% retained by Saxon Weald. If you are interested in buying an apartment at Newman Court, you can view properties on Saxon Weald website. You can also contact Saxon Weald’s Sales Team on 01403 226060 or email info@wealdliving.com

Elderly Accommodation Counsel has details of Extra Care housing schemes in Hampshire.