Camden · Central London
Supported Living for Camden Residents
We don't have a supported living home in Camden. Our three homes are in Uxbridge, Whitton and Kingston upon Thames, and a Camden resident can live in one of them, permanently or for a respite stay, when their Camden social worker agrees it is the right placement. The nearest, Uxbridge, is about an hour from King's Cross on the Metropolitan line.
How Camden Council arranges supported living
Camden runs supported living mainly for adults with learning disabilities, through the Camden Learning Disabilities Service (CLDS), a joint council and NHS team. The council's own learning disability needs assessment describes the route: a Care Act assessment shows eligible needs, and referral for supported living then comes through CLDS for adults, or through the Children and Young People's Disability Service (CYPDS) for younger people.
The same document says Camden commissions supported living across four localities (north, central, south and west Camden) from voluntary and community sector providers. Where nothing local can meet someone's assessed needs, the council may buy a placement elsewhere, including outside the borough. Camden says it wants fewer out-of-borough placements, not more. A move to one of our homes would be considered when in-borough options don't fit, and the social worker has to agree it.
If you are new to Camden social care
Adults who aren't known to CLDS yet can be referred through Camden Adult Social Care. You can use the council's online adult social care referral form or call Contact Camden on 020 7974 4444 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) and ask for Adult Social Care. CLDS can also be contacted directly on 020 7974 3737.
Moving on from children's services
CYPDS works with disabled young people up to the age of 24, and transition planning into adult services is part of its job. If your son or daughter is in their late teens, ask for supported living to be raised at transition and EHCP reviews, well before they turn 18.
Mental health supported accommodation
Supported accommodation for mental health needs follows a separate Camden pathway, with referrals coming through the person's community mental health team at North London NHS Foundation Trust. Camden has been redesigning this pathway, so ask the care coordinator how it currently works. Call us and we'll tell you plainly whether one of our homes fits.
Who pays if Camden places someone in Uxbridge? Under section 39 of the Care Act, a person placed in supported living in another council's area usually stays the responsibility of the council that placed them. Chapter 19 of the Care and Support Statutory Guidance covers this.
Getting from Camden to our homes
None of our homes is close to Camden. Rough journey times from the middle of the borough:
- Uxbridge: about 55 to 65 minutes. Uxbridge-bound Metropolitan line trains run direct from King's Cross St Pancras, Euston Square and Finchley Road. By car it's roughly 45 to 60 minutes along the A40.
- Whitton: about 60 to 75 minutes. Take the Northern line to Waterloo, then a South Western Railway train to Whitton.
- Kingston upon Thames: about 60 to 75 minutes, again by train from Waterloo.
For most Camden families, Uxbridge is the practical choice: one train, no changes.
How is supported living funded for a Camden resident?
Care and support are funded by Camden Council after the needs assessment, and the council will carry out a financial assessment to work out whether the person contributes. The rent is separate. In supported living it is often met through Housing Benefit, and the support worker or social worker can help with the claim. People whose needs are primarily health needs may be funded by the NHS through Continuing Healthcare. We quote only after assessing the person; our guide to paying for care explains the means test.
Tenancy and care are two different things
In supported living, the person's home and their support are legally separate. They have a tenancy or licence with a landlord, which sets out their rights as a tenant. Their care is provided under a support plan, and anyone providing personal care must be registered with the CQC. Keeping the two apart means that, in principle, someone can change their support provider without losing their home.
Arrangements differ between schemes, so ask us how it works at whichever of our homes you are considering. JNP Sidona is registered with the CQC for personal care and has not yet been inspected, so it has no rating. More about the homes themselves is on our supported living page.
Questions to ask any provider, us included
- Who is the landlord, and what kind of tenancy or licence will the person sign?
- How many people live there, and how are new housemates chosen?
- What support is there at night, and how is it staffed?
- How will the person keep links with Camden: day services, friends, family, a church or club they already go to?
- Can we start with a short respite stay?
Other options worth knowing about in Camden
Camden also runs a Shared Lives scheme, where an adult lives with or stays with an approved Shared Lives carer (referral through CLDS), and Breakaway offers short breaks for adults with learning disabilities living with family in Camden. Charlie Ratchford Court is the council's own extra care housing, with on-site care and the resident's own tenancy.
What we can help with in Camden
- 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 Camden we cover
Care across the borough, including these neighbourhoods. Each has its own page with local detail.
Our services
How we can help in Camden
From a few visits a week to a carer who lives in, choose the support that fits.
Camden FAQs
Supported living questions from Camden families
Questions families ask us about Camden. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
Ask a questionWill my relative lose their Camden social worker if they move to Uxbridge?
Usually not. Where Camden arranges a supported living placement in another borough, Camden normally remains the responsible council under the Care Act, so reviews and funding stay with Camden. Confirm this with the social worker before the move.
Can we refer ourselves to you, or does it have to go through CLDS?
You can call us directly to ask questions or arrange a visit. If the council is going to fund the placement, though, Camden has to agree it, so the CLDS or adult social care worker needs to be involved early.
Can a Camden resident come for a respite stay without moving permanently?
Yes. All three homes take respite stays as well as permanent placements, depending on availability. A short stay is also a sensible way to test a home before committing. See our respite care page.
Is there supported living inside Camden instead?
Yes. Camden commissions its own schemes across the borough from other providers, and the council prefers in-borough placements where they meet the person's needs. Ask CLDS what is available locally as well as considering us.
Get started
Looking for care in Camden?
Tell us what is happening and we will tell you honestly whether we can help, and how.