Supported living or housing services for people with a learning disability or autism

People with a learning disability or autistic people may need flexible care and support to live well. There’s support services and supported housing available in Newcastle. The range of services available are explained on this page and includes: independent supported living, personal care at home, residential care, respite care and educational services.

Your care needs

If you need help to live independently at home you can get information and advice from Newcastle City Council. You can contact Adult Social Care at Newcastle City Council. They can call you to have a chat about your your care needs to find out what support you are eligible for.

Local support services

Read more about local help and support services in Newcastle for:

people with learning disabilities
autistic people

Supported housing for people with learning disability and autism

There are a range of options to suit your needs, designed to be flexible and accessible. To access these service, contact Adult Social Care at Newcastle City Council or speak to your social worker about a needs assessment.

The range of supported housing in Newcastle is explained on this page. It includes:

Community clusters
Supported living
Enhanced supporting living
Concierge schemes
Community living networks

Choosing a service

When you choose a support service, it may be useful to think about:

the way you want to be treated
your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing
how you want to live your life
your independence
do you need support to attend appointments
family and personal relationships
participation in work, education, training and leisure activities
how you will be protected from abuse and neglect
where you want to live
telecare

Community Clusters

If you need lots of support during the day and night you could live in your own bungalow in a group of five or six bungalows. Care staff from one agency will help you with 24 hour care, planning and making decisions.

The Community Clusters of bungalows share a courtyard. They are in Kenton, Denton, Byker, Walkergate and Newburn.

There are also community clusters where the bungalows are a short walk from each other. Care staff will help you day and night.

Supported Living

Supported living services are available if you find it difficult to cope on your own at home. You have your own tenancy and live with 2 to 4 other people. Along with your housing, you receive personal care and support through the day and overnight.

Concierge schemes – Enhanced supported living

This service, based at Allendale Court in West Denton, has 15 people living in three large apartments with en-suite bedrooms and communal areas. Ideally this service supports people in transition from education or care or living in residential care outside Newcastle, who need extra support to develop their skills for daily living. One care provider supports people for up to two years.

Concierge schemes support you to live in your own apartment. These schemes are in Fawdon, Kenton, Elswick, Benwell, Shieldfield, and Walkergate. Your support can be arranged through direct payments or the council can organise this for you. They provide:

on call service
your own package of support during the day
shared night time support
housing and welfare support
day activities

Concierge Plus schemes offer the same services but from the same care provider.

Community living networks

This is a network of individual properties that are a short distance (about two miles) from each other. A support worker lives close by and will help people to manage mange their daily lives for up to 10 hours per week. These schemes are in Arthurs Hill and Shieldfield.

Shared Lives

Shared Lives is a service aimed at adults with a learning disability who need overnight support and supervision. Shared Lives helps people to develop or maintain independent living skills, friendships and roots in their community.

The support allows people to live life to the full in their communities, without having to live alone or in a care home. Adults who need support are matched with a compatible Shared Lives carer who agrees to share their home and family (or community) life with that person. They will either move into their own room in the household or use the home as a base.

This can be longer term, with arrangements lasting for years, or short term, providing holidays or short breaks for family carers.

Short breaks and crisis support

The Council has two services to support adults in need of short term support. You will need a needs conversation to gain access to these services:

Castle Dene for adults with profound learning difficulties and complex needs
Welford Centre, a day centre, for adults with profound learning disabilities and complex needs

Castle Dene

Castle Dene is a service in South Gosforth for adults with profound learning disabilities and additional complex needs.

The service aims to support people on a temporary basis. It is purpose built single storey accommodation for 8 people with:

bedrooms
accessible showers and bathrooms
toilets
TVs, music equipment and portable sensory equipment
a full ceiling track hoist system through the building
large sensory garden.
lounges and common areas with adapted furniture so people with different needs can access our facilities

Welford Centre

The Welford Centre is a day centre for adults over the age of 18 who have learning disabilities and additional complex needs. It is a large ground floor building. It is fully accessible to wheelchair users. The building has four large main rooms with more rooms for activities. There is a large accessible garden with a wild life pond and raised flower beds.

The building is fully equipped with a range of resources including:

communication aids
physiotherapy equipment
specialist moving and handling equipment
rebound therapy room
sensory room
pottery room
meeting rooms
adult changing rooms with overhead hoists
large dining room
shower rooms with specialist shower trays
kitchens for cookery
art and craft room

Commissioned services for people with a learning disability or autism

Organisations that are commissioned, have a contract with Newcastle City Council to provide a service. These organisations are registered with and are inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The organisation must meet the quality standards set by the council such as:

employ staff with specific qualifications or training (Skills for Care decide what training staff need)
provide care and support planning
make sure the service they provide is good quality for example, get feedback from people who use their service

You can see the list of services for people with a learning disability or autistic people that are commissioned by Newcastle City Council here.

To use these services you have to speak to Adult Social Care at Newcastle City Council. If you have eligible care and support needs they can arrange for you to have a needs assessment to find out what support is available to you. They can work with you to arrange care and support.

Moving from Children’s to Adult Social Care

Children’s Social Care supports families with children and young people under the age of 18. They work with families to make sure that children and young people are safe, healthy, and have the support they need to grow up happy and well. When you reach the age of 18, Social Care services are usually provided by Adult Social Care.

If you already get support from Children’s Social Care you will start the move to Adult Social Care between the age of 16 and 18. This is known as the transition from Children’s to Adult Services. There is not a set age to move to Adult Social Care. Everyone is different. It will happen at the time that is right for you. To help plan your move to Adult Social Care you will be offered a Transition Assessment, also known as a Needs Assessment.

Other housing options

There are other housing options available in Newcastle. You may want to think about:

Getting some extra help to stay where you live now could be a good option for you. You can read more about local support on InformationNOW:

Last updated: May 10, 2024