Tenants from Derby Homes Sheltered Housing scheme have formed an action group called ‘SHOUT - Supported Housing Offering Unity and Trust’ who ensure the voices and opinions of the communities’ older members are heard.

Tenants from Derby Homes Sheltered Housing scheme have formed an action group called ‘SHOUT - Supported Housing Offering Unity and Trust’ who ensure the voices and opinions of the communities’ older members are heard.

Terry Rogerson, Chair of SHOUT, said: “We are involved in the changes being made to the Sheltered Housing service, which is now to be called the Supported Living service. Our aim is to advise Derby Homes about how the changes affect us and assist with written and verbal communication, which outlines how the changes will impact upon tenants”.

Members of SHOUT meet with senior managers from Derby Homes at monthly meetings. Tenants are currently advising Derby Homes on their risk and needs assessments. Their input has been crucial in developing support programmes that identify and address the needs of Derby Homes elderly tenants within the available budget. Dennis Rees, Chair of Derby Homes, said: “SHOUT came about when we started consulting the users of our Sheltered Housing service about changes we had to make. We wanted to provide an individual service tailored to our users needs rather than a one size fits all.”

Derby Homes is changing its Sheltered Housing scheme to a ‘needs led’ service. All tenants will receive a needs assessment which will determine what services and frequency of visit they require.

Are you a resident in Sheltered Housing and wish to get your voice heard? Anyone interested in joining SHOUT can contact Ruth Holland, Supported Housing Facilties Co-ordinator on 01332 711093 or e-mail ruth.holland@derbyhomes.org