About Zetetick · Your questions answered
Finding supported housing brings plenty of questions. Here we explain Zetetick’s role, how referrals work, what housing costs may involve and where to get help with your tenancy.
Looking for help now?
For a housing enquiry, contact our team. Existing tenants can report a repair here. For urgent out-of-hours problems, use the emergency details supplied for your home.
Zetetick is a specialist supported housing charity for adults with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs and other vulnerabilities. We consider each referral individually: a person’s housing needs, the support arrangements, affordability and the suitability of an available home all matter. A diagnosis or care package alone does not guarantee an offer.
We work across South London, Sussex, Surrey and Kent. Availability changes, and the right location will depend on the person’s needs, relationships, care arrangements and local housing options. Contact us to discuss a particular area.
You can enquire about becoming a tenant, or a social worker, commissioner, care provider or someone supporting you can make a referral. We need enough information to understand the housing need and the care, support and funding arrangements. Our referral guide explains the process.
Both may be possible, depending on suitable properties and the arrangements needed. We consider accessibility, location, personal preferences and any support needs. Where a home is shared, compatibility with the other people living there is an important part of the assessment.
A viewing is an important opportunity to decide whether a home could be right for you. Tell us who you would like involved and what would help you understand the options. We will explain the proposed arrangements and any decision dates; you should ask questions before agreeing to a tenancy.
There is no single timescale. A move depends on finding a suitable property, completing assessments, agreeing care and support arrangements and resolving housing costs and practical preparations. We will discuss the next steps with you and the people involved rather than promise a move before those arrangements are ready.
Zetetick provides housing and housing management. Personal care and support are provided by care partners under separate arrangements. Your care provider, social worker or commissioner can explain who provides your care, what has been agreed and how it is funded.
It is additional housing management for people who need more help to sustain a tenancy. Depending on the person and their home, this can include explaining tenancy responsibilities, helping with housing costs and paperwork, arranging repairs and working with others when a tenancy is at risk. It is separate from personal care. Read about intensive housing management.
Care arrangements depend on your assessed needs, funding and the services available. Discuss your preferences with your social worker, commissioner or the person arranging your support. Zetetick works with care partners, but a housing enquiry does not itself arrange or guarantee a care package.
Tell your care provider and the professional responsible for your support assessment, and let your Housing Officer know about any effect on your home. We can work together to consider whether the housing remains suitable, whether an adaptation could help or whether another home needs to be explored. A change in care needs should be discussed rather than treated as an automatic decision about your tenancy.
Where accommodation meets the rules for specified supported accommodation, help with eligible housing costs is normally through Housing Benefit, subject to the tenant’s eligibility. The local council decides the claim and which costs it can cover. Housing Benefit does not automatically pay every charge.
You may be able to claim Universal Credit for other living costs while Housing Benefit covers eligible supported housing costs. The route depends on your accommodation and circumstances. See the government’s guidance on supported housing and Universal Credit, or speak to a benefits adviser.
Service charges pay for particular services associated with your home. Some housing-related charges may be eligible for Housing Benefit; personal living costs, such as food and fuel used in your own accommodation, are not. The details vary between homes. Ask for the written breakdown of rent, services, utilities and any amounts you need to pay yourself before agreeing to the tenancy.
No. Housing costs and personal care costs are separate. Funding for care depends on the assessment and arrangements made with the relevant council, NHS body or other funder. A financial assessment may affect what a person contributes towards social care. Our guide to who pays for supported living explains the distinction.
It is a technical category within the Housing Benefit rules for supported accommodation. Specific conditions apply to the landlord and the care, support or supervision provided. The council considers whether those conditions are met; the term does not mean every cost is automatically covered or that the home is exempt from housing responsibilities. See the DWP guidance on supported housing claims.
Speak to your Housing Officer as soon as possible. We can help you understand the account, identify missing information and discuss the next steps. Keep any benefit letters and tell us about changes that could affect the claim. Do not assume a delay means the rent or charge has been cancelled.
We will explain the written agreement and the rights and responsibilities that apply to your home. Under the Renters’ Rights Act changes in England, most existing assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026. These run on a rolling basis rather than to a fixed end date. Ask your Housing Officer to explain your own arrangement and provide information in an accessible format. Read the government’s tenant guidance.
Our aim is a stable, long-term home. We cannot promise that every property will remain suitable or available for the whole of someone’s life. Needs and circumstances can change. If a difficulty arises, we work with the tenant and their support network to understand the options and protect housing stability, while respecting their legal rights.
We both lease and own properties. Leasing helps us find homes in different locations and of different types. Regardless of how a property is held, your agreement should make clear who your landlord is and who is responsible for housing management and repairs.
Tell us about accessibility and adaptation needs as early as possible. We may need advice from an occupational therapist or other professional, as well as permissions and an agreed source of funding. What is possible depends on the property and the proposed work; adaptations should be assessed and agreed before anyone assumes they can go ahead.
Use our report a repair page for a routine repair. For an urgent problem or an out-of-hours repair, use the emergency contact details provided for your home, including the easy-read notice on your fridge where supplied. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999. Do not rely on an online form for an immediate emergency.
A landlord must follow the law that applies to the tenancy. For an assured periodic tenancy, ending it requires a lawful ground and the correct notice and process; a court order is normally needed if the tenant does not leave. A difficulty with care, funding or a property does not remove your legal rights. If you receive a notice, seek independent housing advice promptly and speak to your Housing Officer.
Tell your Housing Officer or contact Zetetick and explain what you need. You can ask someone you trust to support you, and ask for our complaints procedure if you want to make a formal complaint. Let us know if easy-read information, a different format or help with communication would make it easier to take part.
Information checked November 2026. Your tenancy, benefits and care arrangements depend on your circumstances. For a decision about your own position, speak to the relevant team or an independent adviser.
Whether you are looking for housing, supporting someone close to you or working with us as a partner, we are here to help you understand the next step.