Sheltered housing

Information for sheltered housing residents

Reporting repairs

You can report repairs within your home or in communal areas via:

If reporting by phone, be ready to write down the Job Reference number, name of the person who you speak to and the contractor details. 

If you need help reporting a repair, please speak to your scheme coordinator.

Emergency and out of hours repairs

An emergency is an issue that poses a threat to life, limb, or property.

Some examples would be:

  • electrical wires hanging from a light fixture,
  • water overflow or extreme leaking.
  • a blocked or overflowing toilet if it is the only toilet that you have access to
  • heating problems during freezing weather

If an emergency occurs during the regular business day, please report the repair to Access Harrow on 0800 614 456. You can also speak to your scheme coordinator.

If an emergency occurs after 5pm on a weekday, on a bank holiday or weekend, call Careline by pulling your emergency cord.

Medical Emergencies: Careline

In the event of a medical emergency, please pull your red cord or press your pendant. The Careline service will contact emergency services on your behalf.

Scheme Coordinators

Scheme coordinators have an office in each sheltered block and are available on site in the morning or afternoon each working day.

They are responsible for the following:

  • Health & safety and security of the communal areas of the building including:
    • risk assessments
    • fire safety arrangements
    • communal repairs / maintenance
  • Supporting you to look after the structure and fabric of your home so that it is suitable and safe for you to live in
  • Testing the fire alarm weekly
  • Checking pull cords in your flat on six monthly basis
  • Facilitating scheme activities and meetings including coffee mornings, Tenants’ meetings and use of the communal lounge
  • Overseeing use of Careline equipment
  • Ensuring schemes facilities (such as laundry rooms) are safe and well maintained.
  • Monitoring cleaning of communal areas
  • Liaison with other Council departments to ensure that vacant flats are let
  • Settling in new tenants (Tenant induction)
  • Booking the Handyperson service

You can speak to them about any of the above issues while they are on-site. If you need to contact them while they are away, you can find their contact details on the communal noticeboard.

Scheme coordinators cannot:

  • Accept gifts or money
  • Give any legal advice, including being an executor of a will
  • Replace your family. We encourage relatives to continue to provide support

Support Coordinators

We encourage family and friends of tenants to help when possible.

In the absence of family or close friends, support co-ordinators can help with:

  • Claiming the right benefits, dealing with debt
  • Taking part in community / cultural / faith groups and Scheme activities
  • Helping you to develop or maintain a friendship network and social life
  • Managing health issues
  • Healthy living advice.
  • Checking on your wellbeing
  • Carry out an assessment of your needs when you return home from hospital.
  • Getting involved in improving the Sheltered Housing service
  • Accessing health services and assessments for aids & adaptations and domestic / personal care
  • Supporting you to learn skills that help you look after your home and live independently.
  • Helping you to understand information, forms and other correspondence you may receive.
  • Access to travel options such as taxi cards and Dial-A-Ride
  • Looking after your own personal safety
  • Make referrals on your behalf to support your well-being and maintain your Tenancy.

You can speak to them about any of the above issues while they are on-site. If you need to contact them while they are away, you can find their contact details on the communal noticeboard.

Handyperson service

A handyperson service is available to do small jobs in your flat, such as:

  • Putting up shelves
  • Hanging pictures or photos
  • Putting up curtain rails/blinds
  • Bathroom cabinet, toilet roll holder, towel rail
  • Assemble bookshelf, small table, TV stand
  • Screw on clothes hanger/pegs
  • Change light bulb

Where materials are required, you will have to purchase and provide them.

To use the service, speak to your Scheme Coordinator.

Guest rooms

The Guest Room is for the use of family or friends to visit a tenant. They have very limited facilities, please check with the scheme coordinator.

  • it can be booked a maximum of 1 month in advance
  • the maximum stay is 7 days unless agreed otherwise with the Sheltered Housing Manager
  • the guest room must be in the same unit as the resident is staying
  • it is desirable for other residents to be introduced to persons using the guest room, and the resident must be in occupation at the time
  • the tenant responsible for the visitor(s) must explain clearly to the Scheme Coordinator their relationship to the visitor(s) and the reason for their use of the guest room
  • bookings are accepted on the understanding that in an emergency the guests may have to forego their booking in order for the guest room to be used
  • there is a charge for the guest room

To book the guest room, speak to your Scheme Coordinator.

Communal lounges

We encourage the use of the Communal lounges in sheltered housing to serve as a social space. Residents can gather in lounges to interact and engage in various activities.