Merton · South and south-west London
Supported Living for Merton Residents
Our three supported living homes are outside Merton, in Kingston upon Thames, Whitton and Uxbridge, but a Merton adult can live in one permanently or come for a short respite stay. Kingston borders Raynes Park and is about 15 to 25 minutes by car from Wimbledon. Where Merton Council pays for the support, the placement is agreed through the person's social worker.
Merton runs its own supported living. Where do we fit?
Merton is unusual in running its own service. The council's supported living service has four sites, in Mitcham, Wimbledon Park and Merton Park, made up of one-bedroom flats with a communal garden or bedsits with shared space, staffed 24 hours a day. The CQC rated it Good in November 2025. It is for adults over 18 with a diagnosed learning disability.
The council also arranges placements with other providers, and that is where we come in, as an out-of-borough option. Families look further afield when a council site has no vacancy, when the person needs something different, or when relatives live in Kingston or west London. JNP Sidona is registered with the CQC but has not yet been inspected, so we have no rating to show you.
How do you get supported living through Merton Council?
Everything starts with a Care Act needs assessment. Which team carries it out depends on the person's needs.
Adults with a learning disability
Assessments are done by the Merton Integrated Learning Disability Team, a joint health and social care team. Its learning disability page lists who it accepts: adults living in Merton with a diagnosed learning disability and eligible needs, referred by themselves, family, a GP or a voluntary group. Email LD.Admin@merton.gov.uk or call 020 8545 4552. For questions about supported living placements, the duty team is on 020 8545 4529 (SSLDDutyTeam@merton.gov.uk).
Young people moving from children's services
Merton's Transition Team says planning should start at the Year 9 review, at age 14. The team usually gets involved between 17 and 18, or from 16 where needs are complex. If supported living is the goal, say so early, including in EHC plan reviews. The team is on 020 8545 3033 (Transition.team@merton.gov.uk).
Mental health, or both
Adults with mental health needs go through the council's Mental Health Social Care Service (020 4605 2630), working with South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust. People with both a learning disability and a serious mental health problem are seen by the joint Merton Mental Health and Learning Disability Team.
Getting from Merton to our homes
- Kingston upon Thames is the nearest. From Wimbledon, the 57 and 131 buses run to Kingston, and trains from Wimbledon and Raynes Park stop at Norbiton and Kingston. From Mitcham or Morden, allow 40 to 60 minutes by public transport, usually via Wimbledon.
- Whitton, near Twickenham, is beyond Kingston and takes longer.
- Uxbridge is much further, and suits families who live out west.
Think about routine as well as distance. Someone who goes to the All Saints Centre in South Wimbledon, the Jan Malinowski Centre in Mitcham or the Leyton Road Centre in Colliers Wood (Merton's day services for adults with learning or physical disabilities) may want to keep going. Kingston has direct buses and trains to Wimbledon, so South Wimbledon stays within reach. The Jan Malinowski Centre in Mitcham is a much longer trip.
A move to Kingston doesn't usually end Merton's responsibility. When a council arranges supported living in another borough, the Care Act's ordinary residence rules normally keep that council responsible for funding and reviews. Chapter 19 of the Care and Support Statutory Guidance sets this out. Ask the social worker to confirm it in writing before the move.
Who pays for supported living in Merton?
The rent and the support are paid separately. The person pays rent to the landlord, often with housing benefit. The support is funded by Merton Council once eligible needs are confirmed, and a financial assessment decides whether the person contributes anything. Children's social care is free, so for young people in transition this is a new cost to plan for.
To arrange the support yourselves with a direct payment, talk to the council's Direct Payments Team (020 8545 3415). Where someone's needs are primarily health needs, NHS Continuing Healthcare may fund the care instead.
We don't publish prices. We quote after meeting the person and understanding the support they need. Our paying for care guide explains the funding routes in more detail.
The tenancy and the support are two different agreements
In supported living the person is a tenant with housing rights, and the support is provided under a separate care plan by a provider registered with the CQC for personal care. In principle the support provider can change without the person losing their home, which is not true of a care home. Ask for a copy of the tenancy to read before anyone signs.
What to ask any provider, us included
- Who else lives there, and can we meet them before deciding?
- How is support arranged at night and at weekends?
- Will staff help with trips back to Merton for family, church, a day centre or college?
- Which GP will the person register with, and how will the Merton learning disability team hand over health care such as an annual health check?
- Can we start with a short respite stay?
Support for Merton families
If you care for someone, you are entitled to your own carer's assessment. In Merton you can ask through Carers First Merton (0300 303 1555), the borough's carers service. Merton Mencap and Merton Centre for Independent Living also offer advice to families.
What we can help with in Merton
- 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 Merton we cover
Care across the borough, including these neighbourhoods. Each has its own page with local detail.
Our services
How we can help in Merton
From a few visits a week to a carer who lives in, choose the support that fits.
Merton FAQs
Merton families ask
Questions families ask us about Merton. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
Ask a questionShould we wait for a place at one of Merton's own sites?
Discuss it with the social worker. The council sites keep people in the borough. If one isn't available or isn't right, ask about placements with other providers and mention our homes by name.
We live in Pollards Hill and don't drive. How would we visit Kingston?
Take the tram from Mitcham or Mitcham Junction to Wimbledon, then a train to Norbiton or Kingston, or the 131 or 57 bus. Allow about an hour each way and plan the visiting pattern with the social worker before agreeing anything.
My son is 15 and has an EHC plan. Is it too early to talk about supported living?
No. Merton says planning starts at the Year 9 review. Ask for his housing goals to be recorded now, so the Transition Team knows what he wants when it gets involved at 16 to 18.
Would my daughter still see the Merton learning disability team after moving to Kingston?
Merton usually stays responsible for her social care funding and reviews. Her health care may change once she registers with a GP in Kingston, so ask the Merton team, before the move, how specialist health support and her annual health check will be handed over.
Can someone from Merton try a short stay first?
Yes, if a room is free. Our homes take respite stays as well as permanent residents, and a short stay is a good test of whether the journey from Merton works for everyone.
Nearby
Other areas near Merton
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