Ralph Jessop Court
Housing for older people with some special design features and good facilities
Who is it for? | People over the age of 60 who want to rent. |
Property details | Ralph Jessop Court consists of 58 one-bedroom flats & 1 two bedroom first floor flat. All are located within a three storey building & all properties are accessed via a communal corridor There is cable and satellite TV and a concessionary TV licence. Some properties have new kitchens & bathrooms. Flats are a reasonable size with a large cupboard for storage. Ralph Jessop Court 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 Wyvern Close off of Herbert Avenue in the Rossmore area of Parkstone, Poole. There are local facilities including a Tesco Express & other shops, which are a level walk away. There are 3 GPs in the local area. A very active church is opposite. The Leisure Centre, including a swimming pool & the library are a 5 minute level walk away. There are frequent buses to both the town of Poole & Bournemouth and there is a regular route to Poole Hospital. |
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, usually on site, 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 Ralph Jessop Court have a legal agreement to live there and details are set out in Secure Tenancy Agreements between them and PHP. |
How to get it? | Anyone wishing to apply to rent a flat at Ralph Jessop Court sheltered scheme must be over the age of 60 & be on the Housing Register, even if they already live in council accommodation. The Borough of Poole's process is called Homechoice. When a flat becomes vacant it is advertised and applicants can bid for it. Details of how to apply or what properties are on offer can be found on www.boroughofpoole.com or by phoning 01202 633805 or calling into the Civic Centre, Poole. |
What is provided? Facilities | There is a communal lounge & kitchen that all tenants can use if they want to have more space for coffee mornings, fund raising events, parties, get-togethers or meetings. It is bright and sunny and overlooks the enclosed communal garden area. There is a Loop system to assist the hearing impaired residents & visitors. There are also 2 side lounges, 2 laundry rooms, private car parking, door entry system & and a Sheltered Housing Office on site. |
Services | Ralph Jessop Court has three main services. They are: 1. A support service provided by sheltered housing 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. Sheltered housing staff do not provide personal care.. 2. A community alarm service. When sheltered housing staff are not available residents are able to get help by using the community alarm service. Every flat has an intercom and pull cords. There are also pull cords in the communal areas. If someone uses this equipment the staff at the community alarm service know help is needed and they will send it quickly. On site sheltered housing staff also use the intercom to call everyone each day to see how they are. 3. A management and repairs service. Sheltered housing 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 Ralph Jessop Court and people who live there have copies of the standards they can expect. (See sheltered housing service standards in the directory. PHP is always keen to make sure that work is done to good standards. |
Relationship with the local community | Ralph Jessop Court is part of the local community and people living there take part in activities in the local area. The building is open for regular use by the local community & is used by Age Concern (Poole) on a weekly basis. |
Staffing and expertise | Ralph Jessop Court staff includes the Sheltered Housing Officer who has been trained to offer advice on the kind of help & support that is available, The SHO has First Aid training & performs regular Health & Safety checks. There is also cleaning staff & a handy man. |
Complaints and other matters | Anyone living at Ralph Jessop Court can expect to be treated with courtesy at all times. Everyone moving in 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. |
Costs to you | Many people who are on low incomes qualify for Housing Benefit which may cover all of the rent and service charges but does not pay for the heating and water charges Staff can help to work out what entitlement there may be. |
Value for money | Our charges compare well with rents & charges for similar housing for older people. |
Want to know more? | Please contact the Sheltered Housing Officer at Ralph Jessop Court on 01202 743605. |