Bromley · South-east London
Supported Living for Bromley Residents
A Bromley adult can move into one of our supported living homes, permanently or for a respite stay, but we have no home in Bromley. Our three homes are in Kingston upon Thames, Whitton and Uxbridge, so a move means leaving the borough. If Bromley Council is paying, it has to agree the placement through the person's social worker. Kingston is the nearest, roughly 45 minutes to an hour by car from Bromley town centre.
How does Bromley Council refer someone to supported living?
If the council is going to fund the support, the first step is always a Care Act needs assessment from Bromley Adult Social Care. The way in depends on age and on which teams already know the person.
Adults not yet known to social care
Phone Adult Social Care on 020 8461 7777, email adultsocialcare@bromley.gov.uk, or use the initial information form on the council's care assessment page. The council's Adult Early Intervention Service will then get in touch. Bromley's housing and support schemes for adults with a diagnosed learning disability are reached through the same assessment.
Young people moving into adult services
Bromley's 0-25 Service has a Preparing for Adulthood team that starts working with disabled young people from about 14. It works jointly with children's social care until the young person turns 18 and then takes over the case, including the Care Act assessment and any mental capacity assessments. If supported living is the long-term aim, raise it at EHCP reviews.
Learning disability and mental health
NHS health input for adults with a learning disability comes from Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust's Community Adult Learning Disability Team for Bromley. It sees adults registered with a Bromley GP and is based at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup. Oxleas also runs adult mental health services in the borough. These teams advise on health needs; the funding decision stays with the council.
Ask about options inside Bromley as well. The council funds supported living in the borough, in shared houses and self-contained flats. It also runs a Shared Lives scheme, where an adult lives with or regularly visits an approved carer's household, and it lists extra care housing for older people.
Which of your homes is nearest to Bromley?
All three of our homes are in west and south-west London, and Bromley is at the opposite corner of the capital. From Bromley town centre:
- Kingston upon Thames is the nearest. By car it takes about 45 minutes to an hour across Croydon and Sutton on the A232, then the A240, depending on traffic. By public transport allow 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 30 minutes, for example the tram from Beckenham Junction or Elmers End to Wimbledon, then a South Western Railway train to Kingston.
- Whitton, near Twickenham, is further west again.
- Uxbridge, on the far western edge of London, is the longest trip.
The tram suits families in Beckenham, Penge or Anerley. From Orpington, Chislehurst or Biggin Hill it takes longer, and the car may be the only practical way to visit. Think about who will visit, and how often, before anything is signed.
Tenancy and support: two separate agreements
In supported living, the person holds a tenancy or licence for their room or flat, which gives them housing rights. Their care and support is a separate arrangement with a provider registered with the CQC for personal care. In principle, the person could change support provider and keep their home.
Ask us how it works at the home you are considering. JNP Sidona is registered with the CQC but has not been inspected yet, so we have no rating to show you. More about each home is on our supported living page.
Who pays for supported living for a Bromley resident?
Usually Bromley Council, once the needs assessment confirms eligible needs, followed by a financial assessment of the person's income and savings. Rent is separate and is often met by Housing Benefit. Where needs are primarily health needs, NHS Continuing Healthcare may fund the care.
When a council arranges supported living in another area, the ordinary residence rules in the Care Act normally keep that council responsible. In this case it would stay with Bromley, not Kingston, Richmond or Hillingdon. Chapter 19 of the Care and Support Statutory Guidance explains this. Ask for it in writing before the move. We quote only after meeting the person; our paying for care guide has more.
Questions to put to any provider, including us
- Who is the landlord, and what exactly will the person sign?
- How is support covered overnight and at weekends?
- Will staff help with trips back to Bromley for family, birthdays and hospital appointments at the PRUH or Beckenham Beacon, and who pays the fares?
- Which GP will the person join, and how will Oxleas hand over to the health teams in the new area?
- Can a short respite stay come first, as a trial?
Help for Bromley carers in the meantime
If you look after the person now, you have a right to a carer's assessment of your own. Bromley Council carries these out, and you can start with the online self-assessment on its carers' assessments page. For advice, peer groups and a sitting service, register with Bromley Well's carers support service on freephone 0808 278 7898.
What we can help with in Bromley
- Homes in Whitton, Kingston and Uxbridge
- Permanent or respite stays
- Support with daily living skills
- Help to build independence
- Tenancy and care explained clearly
- Community, day centres and outings
- Visit before you decide
- Referrals from social workers welcome
Areas of Bromley we cover
Care across the borough, including these neighbourhoods. Each has its own page with local detail.
Our services
How we can help in Bromley
From a few visits a week to a carer who lives in, choose the support that fits.
Bromley FAQs
Bromley families ask
Questions families ask us about Bromley. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
Ask a questionOur son is 16 and known to Bromley's 0-25 Service. Who do we speak to about supported living?
His worker in the Preparing for Adulthood team. That team keeps the case after he turns 18, so the person planning his transition will also be part of any decision about where he lives.
We live in Biggin Hill and don't drive. Could we realistically visit Kingston?
It would be a long trip. Biggin Hill has no station, so you would take a bus to Bromley or Hayes before starting the rail or tram journey west. Allow well over two hours each way. Tell the social worker, and look closely at schemes inside Bromley too.
Would the Oxleas learning disability team still see my daughter after she moved?
The Bromley team works with adults registered with a Bromley GP. Once she registers with a GP near her new home, her health care would usually pass to the local learning disability services there. Ask both teams to plan the handover before she moves.
Can someone from Bromley come for a respite stay without moving permanently?
Yes, if there is space. Our homes take respite stays as well as permanent residents. A short stay is a useful way to find out whether the distance from Bromley works for the person and for the family.
Get started
Looking for care in Bromley?
Tell us what is happening and we will tell you honestly whether we can help, and how.