Extra Care

You will have your own flat in a specially designed housing complex with 24 hour care and support available on site. You can furnish your flat in your own taste. You will have a tenancy agreement and pay rent to the housing association.

Why choose Extra Care?

Extra Care will give you the independence of having your own home with the benefit of on-site personal care and support to meet your assessed need. Facilities include:

• lounge
• restaurant
• access to a local shop
• landscaped gardens
• guest suite
• cleaning service
• hair and beauty salon
• 24 hour support available
• security with CCTV and intercoms
• social events and activities

Will I qualify?

A social worker will work with you to complete an assessment of your care and support needs. This will help us to make a decision on what kind of support you need. If you are a couple, you can still qualify if one person has care needs where Extra Care is assessed as the most effective way of meeting those needs.

Will I have to pay?

If you qualify for Extra Care, a Financial Assessment and Benefits officer (FABO) will help you complete a financial assessment. They will explain how much your care and support will cost and tell you how much you will be expected to pay towards this cost. They can also carry out a benefits check for you to make sure that you are not missing out on any benefits that you are entitled to.

What care will be provided?

A Care Provider Representative and Housing Association Representative will visit you at home to explain the tenancy agreement to you and tell you what your rights and responsibilities are. They will discuss how they will provide care for you. The care you receive can range from helping you with mobility to helping you with personal care.

Is Extra Care a home for the rest of my life?

Due to the special design of the flats, the level of support available and the range of equipment that can be accessed, some people will be able to remain in Extra Care for the rest of their lives. However there may be circumstances that occur which result in you needing to move into a different environment for your needs to be met. This may be as a result of medical needs, which can only be met in a specialist medical facility.

What if I do not live in County Durham?

You can still apply for Extra Care if you live outside of County Durham. You will need to arrange for your local social services department to carry out an assessment of your needs and arrange for this to be sent to us. An allocations panel will then consider your application taking into account your assessed needs and your reason for wanting to move into County Durham. They will let you know their decision.

Where are the Extra Care schemes?

There are schemes based around the county in Barnard Castle, Ouston, Seaham, Consett, Spennymoor, Brandon and Crook. Full details can be found at Locate - care and support in County Durham.

How do I apply?

You will need to have a Care and Support Assessment. The Care and Support Assessment is a questionnaire which allows you to have the first say in what you think your care and support needs are. You can get a copy from Locate - care and support in County Durham.