Baiter Gardens

Housing for older people with some special design features and good facilities

Who is it for?	People over the age of 60. wanting to rent.
Property details	Baiter Gardens has 45 self-contained flats on three floors in three blocks and 11 bungalows. There is a lift to each floor. 42 of the flats are one bedroomed and two have two bedrooms, one has three. The bungalows are all one bedroomed. All 53 one-bedroom flats and bungalows are large enough for couples. The flats are arranged over three floors with lifts and stairs to each floor. The flats lead off corridors that are wide and bright. Flats are never too far away from the stairs and the lift. There is cable and satellite TV and a concessionary TV licence. Flats are a reasonable size and each flat has a large cupboard for storage. Baiter Gardens is owned by the Borough of Poole and managed by Poole Housing Partnership, (PHP) the Council's Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO). PHP manages all the Council's homes and is based in Poole.
Where is it?	It is in the Old Town area of Poole close to Baiter Park and Poole Quay with its museums and activities. The comprehensive High Street shops are a level ten-minute walk away and the quay is a few minutes walk from the scheme. There are two GPs close by. The Leisure Centre Arts Centre and swimming baths are another 15-minute walk away.
What is it for?	It aims to give people good housing and that little bit of support so they can carry on living independently. A member of staff, whose job title is Sheltered Housing Officer, is available in the building during normal working hours Monday to Friday. A large part of the Sheltered Housing Officer's job is to support tenants.
Right to occupy	People living in Baiter Gardens have a legal agreement to live there and details are set out in Secure Tenancy Agreements between them and PHP.
How to get it?	Only people who need housing can apply. People thinking about moving will be asked why they need to move. They have to give their reasons on an application form. The Borough of Poole operates a Choice-based lettings Scheme called Homechoice: when a flat becomes vacant it is advertised and applicants can 'bid' for it. They would usually go to the person or couple who need it most of those bidding. The most common reasons for needing to move are: someone is finding it difficult to manage where they live now because they need housing on one level, or they need to be nearer friends and relatives, or they need to be near shops and buses so they can get on with everyday life more easily Anyone interested in wanting to move to Baiter Gardens has to get an application form from the Borough of Poole.
What is provided? Facilities	There is communal lounge and kitchen on the scheme that all tenants can use if they want to have more space for parties, get-togethers or meetings. It is bright and sunny and overlooks the garden area. There is a computer with internet access in the lounge that residents can use free of charge. The three blocks of flats at all have automatic doors to enable disabled residents easy access.
Services	Baiter Gardens has three main services. They are: A support service provided by support staff (the Sheltered Housing Officer) – this is to help people get information, give help with welfare benefits and point people in the right direction for other services. Support staff do not provide care of any kind. A community alarm service. When support staff are not available residents are able to get help by using the community alarm service. Every flat has an intercom and pull cords and there are also pull cords around the building. If someone uses this equipment the staff at the community alarm service know help is needed and they will send it quickly. On site support staff also use the intercom to call everyone each day to see how they are. A management and repairs service. Support staff will contact PHP if any repairs need to be done. PHP will arrange for contractors to come out to do the repairs.
Standards	There are standards covering all of the services that are provided at Baiter Gardens and people who live there have copies of the standards they can expect. PHP is always keen to make sure that work is done to good standards.
Relationship with the local community	Baiter Gardens is part of the local community and people living there take part in activities in the local area. The building is not open for regular use by the local community although social events are regularly held at Baiter Gardens and local people might be invited to attend.
Staffing and expertise	The Sheltered Housing Officer who works from an office on site is trained to give housing related support and to signpost residents to other services that PHP cannot provide.
Complaints and other matters	Anyone living at Baiter Gardens can expect to be treated with courtesy at all times. Everyone moving into Baiter Gardens is given a handbook that explains what they should do if they are not happy with a service. Complaints are taken seriously and staff aim to put matters right if possible.
	The Service charge is for the extra facilities and services provided on the sheltered scheme. The Supporting People charge is for housing related support provided by the Sheltered Housing staff and the Control Centre. A communal heating charge will vary from scheme to scheme. Many people who are on low incomes qualify for Housing Benefit to cover all or some of the rent. Some people also get almost all of their service and support costs met. Our staff can help work out what people would pay before they move.
	Our charges compare well with rents and charges for similar housing for older people in Poole.
Want to know more?	Please contact Lynda Gregory on 01202 665162

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