Tower Hamlets · East London
Supported Living for Tower Hamlets Residents
We can offer supported living to a Tower Hamlets resident, but not in the borough itself: our three homes are in Whitton (Twickenham), Kingston upon Thames and Uxbridge, all on the other side of London. A permanent place or a respite stay with us needs the person's Tower Hamlets social worker or learning disability team to agree an out-of-borough placement. From Whitechapel, Stepney Green, Mile End or Bow Road, the District line runs straight to Richmond, which makes Whitton the easiest of the three to reach.
Stay in the East End, or move west?
The first question is often whether to leave Tower Hamlets at all. A move to Twickenham, Kingston or Uxbridge takes someone away from family on the estate, the mosque or church they know, and friends from college or a day service. For some people that fresh start is the point; for others it cuts too much away.
Ask the council what exists closer to home first. Other providers run supported living inside the borough, and the council has its own extra care supported housing: self-contained flats on assured shorthold tenancies with a care team on site day and night, for adults aged 18 and over who need at least three hours of care and support a week. Shipton House is one of the schemes. You apply through your social worker, or through Tower Hamlets Connect if you don't have one.
How does Tower Hamlets Council refer someone for supported living?
A learning disability: the CLDS at Mile End Hospital
The Community Learning Disability Service (CLDS) is a joint team of East London NHS Foundation Trust health staff and council social workers, based on the second floor of Beaumont House at Mile End Hospital, 275 Bancroft Road, E1 4DG. According to its page on how to get support from CLDS, it screens a referral within 48 hours, confirms whether the person has a global learning disability, and carries out a Care Act assessment at the same time. The duty desk is on 020 7771 5500, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Turning 18
CLDS also works with young people under 18 who have a global learning disability and are moving into adult services. If your son or daughter has an education, health and care plan, raise where they might live as an adult at their annual reviews, well before their eighteenth birthday.
Mental health
If the person is under one of East London NHS Foundation Trust's community mental health teams in the borough, ask their care coordinator or social worker about supported accommodation.
Everyone else
Adults who don't fit either route ask for a Care Act assessment through Tower Hamlets Connect, using the online self-assessment form or by calling 0300 303 6070 on weekdays. The council has to find eligible needs before it will fund supported living anywhere.
Getting from Tower Hamlets to our homes
Rough door-to-door times by public transport:
- Whitton: about 75 to 95 minutes. Richmond-branch District line trains from Aldgate East, Whitechapel, Stepney Green, Mile End or Bow Road take about an hour to Richmond, then a short South Western Railway train or a bus goes on to Whitton.
- Uxbridge: a similar time. Either take the Elizabeth line west from Whitechapel or Canary Wharf and finish by bus, or take the Metropolitan line from Aldgate all the way to Uxbridge.
- Kingston upon Thames: about 80 to 90 minutes. From Canary Wharf take the Jubilee line to Waterloo, then a train to Kingston.
By car, all three usually take 60 to 90 minutes across London.
Who pays for supported living for a Tower Hamlets resident?
If the assessment finds eligible needs, Tower Hamlets Council funds the support and then means-tests the person to see whether they contribute. Rent is separate and is often paid through Housing Benefit. Someone whose needs are mainly health needs may be assessed for NHS Continuing Healthcare, which East London NHS Foundation Trust's Tower Hamlets continuing healthcare service handles. We give no prices here, because we quote only after assessing the person. Our guide to paying for care explains the routes.
When Tower Hamlets places someone in supported living in another borough, it usually stays responsible for their care under section 39 of the Care Act. Chapter 19 of the Care and Support Statutory Guidance covers this. NHS care works differently: CLDS's health team and the borough's community mental health teams serve people who live in Tower Hamlets, so a move usually means a new GP and the local NHS teams near the home. Ask for a written handover before the move.
Tenancy and care are two separate things. In supported living the person has a tenancy or licence with a landlord, and their support follows a care plan from a CQC-registered provider. JNP Sidona is registered with the CQC for personal care and has not yet been inspected, so it has no rating. The homes are described on our supported living page.
What to ask any provider, including us
- Who is the landlord, and will the person sign a tenancy or a licence?
- How will halal food, prayer times, fasting at Ramadan or other religious practice be supported day to day, and how far is the nearest mosque, church or temple?
- If the family's first language is Sylheti, Bengali or Somali, how will the staff keep them informed?
- What support is there at night?
- Can the person try a short respite stay first?
What we can help with in Tower Hamlets
- 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 Tower Hamlets we cover
Care across the borough, including these neighbourhoods. Each has its own page with local detail.
Our services
How we can help in Tower Hamlets
From a few visits a week to a carer who lives in, choose the support that fits.
Tower Hamlets FAQs
Questions from Tower Hamlets families
Questions families ask us about Tower Hamlets. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
Ask a questionCan we refer ourselves to the CLDS, or does it have to be our GP?
You can refer yourself. The CLDS accepts self-referrals as well as referrals from professionals. Call the duty desk on 020 7771 5500 or use the referral form on the council's CLDS page.
Is Shipton House the same as supported living?
Not quite. Shipton House is one of the council's extra care supported housing schemes: your own flat with an assured shorthold tenancy and a care team on site. It keeps the person in Tower Hamlets; the social worker can say whether it or supported living fits better.
Can someone from Tower Hamlets come for a short stay only?
Yes, if we have space. All three homes take respite stays as well as permanent residents, and a short stay is a good way for the person to try the home and for the family to try the journey. See our respite care page.
We live near Bow Road. Which home is easiest to visit?
Usually Whitton. Bow Road is on the District line, and Richmond-branch trains go through to Richmond without a change. Whitton is a short hop from there. Tell us the days you'd usually visit and we'll talk it through.
Get started
Looking for care in Tower Hamlets?
Tell us what is happening and we will tell you honestly whether we can help, and how.