Southwark · South-east London
Supported Living for Southwark Residents
Adults from Southwark can move into one of our supported living homes, permanently or for a short stay, but none of the homes is in Southwark. They are in Kingston upon Thames, Whitton and Uxbridge, and the nearest, Kingston, is about 50 to 70 minutes by train from Peckham or Denmark Hill. If Southwark Council is funding the support, the move is agreed with the person's social worker.
Where supported living sits on Southwark's housing ladder
Southwark Council says most people who get adult social care won't need supported housing. It offers supported living only when needs can't be met in ordinary housing, with as much support as the person needs and as few restrictions as possible.
Below supported living on that ladder sit sheltered housing, flexicare (your own flat with care on site around the clock, at schemes such as Harriet Hardy House and Lime Tree House) and Shared Lives, where you live with an approved carer in their home, run locally by Ategi Shared Lives. Supported living gives you your own tenancy with support on site, which can include overnight support. Residential and nursing care sit above it.
We are a supported living provider outside the borough. JNP Sidona is registered with the CQC but hasn't been inspected yet, so we have no rating to show you. Our supported living page describes the three homes.
How do I get supported living through Southwark Council?
The first contact depends on the person's needs. Whichever route you use, a social worker's assessment comes before any placement.
Adults with a learning disability, and disabled young adults aged 18 to 25
Your first contact is the Southwark Disability Hub, which the charity KeyRing runs for the council. Call 020 3457 7580 or email disabilityhub@keyring.org. If the person already gets adult social care, use the learning disabilities duty line on 020 7525 2333.
Teenagers still with children's services
Southwark handles under-18s through its children's services front door (MASH, 020 7525 1921) before they move to adult services. If a home of their own is the goal, ask for it to go into transition planning well before 18.
Adults with mental health needs
The Southwark Wellbeing Hub is run by South East London Mind at 10 Bradenham Close, Walworth, and its number is 0800 368 8433. It can refer people on to the council's mental health teams. If the person is already under South London and Maudsley, raise housing with their care coordinator.
Physical disability, sensory loss or older age
These go to the Older People and Physical Disabilities (OPPD) team on 020 7525 3324, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. You can also refer online through the council's adult social care pages.
Our nearest home to Southwark is Kingston
- Kingston upon Thames is about 50 to 70 minutes away. From Peckham Rye, Queens Road Peckham or Denmark Hill, take the Overground Windrush line to Clapham Junction, then a South Western Railway train to Kingston, which takes about 20 minutes. From Bermondsey or Elephant and Castle, change at Waterloo.
- Whitton, near Twickenham, is about 55 to 75 minutes away on the Hounslow loop.
- Uxbridge is the furthest, at 75 to 90 minutes.
Think about the person's week as well as the journey. Someone who goes to the Stones End Day Centre in Borough, a church in Peckham or a club in Camberwell would lose that routine, or would need help with a long trip to keep it.
A move to Kingston doesn't usually end Southwark's responsibility. When a council arranges accommodation in another borough, the Care Act's ordinary residence rules normally keep the first council responsible for funding and reviews. Chapter 19 of the Care and Support Statutory Guidance explains this. Ask the social worker to confirm it in writing.
Who pays for supported living for a Southwark resident?
Rent and support are paid separately. The tenant pays rent to the landlord, usually with help from Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. Southwark pays for the support once a social worker confirms eligible needs, and a financial assessment then decides whether the person pays anything towards it. The council's online contribution calculator gives an early estimate.
Support can also be taken as a direct payment. Southwark pays these onto a prepaid card or into a separate bank account, or through People Plus, who can manage the money for the person. Where needs are mainly about health, NHS Continuing Healthcare may pay instead, through NHS South East London. We don't publish prices. We quote after a free assessment, and our paying for care guide sets out the funding routes.
The lease is yours, and the support is a separate contract
In supported living, the person holds a tenancy and has a tenant's rights. Support is a separate arrangement, set out in a care plan and delivered by a provider registered with the CQC for personal care. In principle the support can change without the person losing their home, unlike in a care home. Read the tenancy agreement before anyone signs.
What to ask before a move across London
- Who lives in the house now, and can we visit before deciding?
- How does support work at night and at weekends?
- Will staff help with trips back to Southwark to see family or keep up a club or church?
- Which GP will the person join? If they see specialists at King's, Guy's or the Maudsley, how will that care continue?
- Can we start with a short respite stay?
What we can help with in Southwark
- 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 Southwark we cover
Care across the borough, including these neighbourhoods. Each has its own page with local detail.
Our services
How we can help in Southwark
From a few visits a week to a carer who lives in, choose the support that fits.
Southwark FAQs
Questions from Southwark families
Questions families ask us about Southwark. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
Ask a questionThe council suggested Shared Lives or flexicare instead. Should we still talk to you?
Those options keep the person in Southwark and may suit them well. If the social worker thinks supported living is right and you'd consider a home outside the borough, call us and we'll tell you honestly what we have available.
My son is 24 and has never had a social worker. Where do we start?
Start with the Southwark Disability Hub on 020 3457 7580. It covers adults with a learning disability and disabled young adults aged 18 to 25, and can start the route into an assessment.
We're in Nunhead and don't drive. How would we visit Kingston?
Get to Peckham Rye, one stop from Nunhead by train or a short bus ride, then take the Overground Windrush line to Clapham Junction. From there, take a South Western Railway train to Kingston. Allow over an hour each way, and agree a visiting pattern before the move.
My sister is under the Maudsley. Would moving affect her mental health care?
It may. Her care could pass to the local mental health trust after the move. Raise this with her care coordinator before agreeing anything.
Can someone from Southwark try a short stay first?
Yes, if a room is free. Our homes take respite stays as well as permanent residents. A short stay shows whether the distance from Southwark works for the whole family.
Get started
Looking for care in Southwark?
Tell us what is happening and we will tell you honestly whether we can help, and how.