#StartsAtHome Day 2024

Our 11 Housing with Support schemes provide homes to 426 residents across Plymouth and are specially tailored for people aged over 60 who have a need for accommodation with extra support.

Sheltered housing provides residents with a supportive and comfortable environment that enables them to live independently at home for longer.

As part of Starts at Home Day, which highlights the value of care and support services and the difference that having a safe and secure place to call home can make to people’s lives, we spoke to some of our customers about what living in our schemes means to them:

Residents living in Plympton bring community together through fundraising & weekly events in their communal lounge

Our residents living at Broadland Gardens, Campbell Road, Stentaway Close and Stentaway Drive come together to fundraise tirelessly for local charities, and most recently the scheme raised £170 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

The scheme includes a mixture of 58 Housing with Support flats and bungalows in Plymstock, which all have access to a communal lounge and kitchen with secure access, as well as a communal patio area and garden.

This year the residents living at the scheme have also raised over £300 for Alzheimer’s Society and £225 for Cancer for Children by hosting different events and coffee mornings.

Each week the residents host bingo, a breakfast club and lunch club, which is a huge favourite. Last week they also organised a communal BBQ where our Housing with Support residents came together to enjoy the summer weather and a bite to eat.

We visited the breakfast club earlier this week where Linda and Di were in the kitchen cooking up a delicious breakfast and we spoke to the residents about what living in their schemes mean to them.

Linda said: “We are lucky to have the communal lounge and kitchen to be able to do this for the community. If we don’t use it, we’ll lose it, but we certainly make the most of it, and working in the kitchen certainly keeps me busy.”

Kate, a resident of 10 and a half years at the scheme, added: “I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, I love it here. 10 and a half years ago I took over the bingo at the scheme, and this was when there was only tai chi and bingo, but now there’s coffee mornings, brunches and more.”

We also spoke to other residents who were enjoying their breakfast and natter with their neighbours at the scheme, and resident Joy also loves living there and meeting with her neighbours in the communal lounge.

Joy said: “I love living here. I come down to the communal lounge three times a week, and its great to be able to get out of the house. My favourite meal at the lunch club is the roast with all the trimmings. The location of this scheme is great, and I have family who live nearby so its really handy. The Broadway is also only down the road, so if I’m having a good day I will walk down there.”

Residents explore the ocean with VR experience sessions

Residents living in our Housing with Support schemes are being given the opportunity to explore the ocean with VR experience sessions.

Teaming up with the Ocean Conservation Trust, Leypark Court was the first scheme to experience the immersive virtual reality journey and took a captivating voyage through the ocean's depths.

The virtual reality experience aimed to encourage residents to connect with the ocean and its inhabitants, helping them to learn about the importance of ocean conservation and understand the impact that human activity has on the delicate marine environment.

The feedback received from our residents was overwhelmingly positive, and many said that they felt like they were swimming with the fish and other sea creatures. This collaboration between technology and conservation is just one example of how we can use innovation to raise awareness of important environmental issues and inspire positive change in our communities from the comfort of their own home.

We are rolling out the sessions across our schemes throughout the year, so watch this space for further updates of residents enjoying the sessions.

Janet is recognised at the Make a Difference Awards

Last year, a resident living at Helen Fox House was presented with a Make a Difference Award by BBC Radio Devon for her community spirt, and for supporting her neighbours in the scheme, as well as those living in Devonport and beyond.

Janet Blank has lived at the Housing with Support scheme in Devonport for over 12 years and hosts weekly cash bingo sessions for her neighbours, and those who are connected to Helen Fox House.

Janet is known to be instrumental in the scheme, supporting other residents with their daily tasks and putting on other activities for their enjoyment throughout the year.

Janet was nominated for ‘The Great Neighbour Award’ and was contacted by the local radio station to tell her the good news. After being shortlisted, she was interviewed and filmed by BBC Radio Devon.

In September 2023 Janet was invited to attend a ceremony at Powderham Castle, near Exeter, and was given an award as a Highly Commended finalist for ‘The Great Neighbour Award’.

Becky Darce, Housing with Support Manager at PCH, said: “Janet is well known and respected for her contribution and support to others, both at Helen Fox House and in the wider community.

“It’s brilliant that her hard work to bring people together has been recognised with this award.”

PCH in Bloom – residents dedicate their time to improving their outside space

Many residents take the time to plant beautiful flowers in their own back gardens and communal spaces to improve the appearance of their outside spaces, improve their mental health and to allow them to get into the fresh air whilst still in the comfort of their scheme.

Geoff’s Blooming Marvellous Garden

In April 2023, we visited Geoff, a green-fingered sheltered housing resident living in Plympton.

Despite turning 80 in May 2023, Geoff’s garden is his pride and joy, and he prunes it every day, no matter the weather, to keep his flowers in the best condition possible.

We visited Geoff again this year to find out how his garden has been holding up in the wet and windy weather.

Geoff said: “The unseasonable weather that we have experienced so far this year has been terrible. There’s been wind, rain, thunder, frost and more recently a bit of sunshine, so it has been hard to keep on top of the garden.

“Even though the weather has been horrible, I still come outside without fail from 9am – 1pm every day as I am keen to get it ready for the warmer months.

“I look forward to enjoying the warmer weather in the garden with my wife and our neighbours.”

Stunning flowers and wildlife in Plympton

A resident living in Plympton is regularly joined in his garden by hedgehogs, woodpeckers, blue tits, wrens and other wildlife.

Their garden is filled with stunning flowers, and the resident continues to look after and cultivate them throughout the year. Their love for growing flowers started in school, and they are continuing to grow different varieties of flowers as it supports their mental health.

The resident said: “I also enjoy learning about birds, and this has helped me to read and develop my reading skills. Bird watching makes my heart sing, and it is just heaven being able to live in a space where I can grow so many flowers and see so much wildlife.”

Brock House Communal Garden

Residents living at Brock House fill their communal garden with an abundance of flowers to make the space enjoyable for all to enjoy.

The outdoor space is available for residents at the scheme to enjoy, with benches and umbrellas so that they can enjoy the outside space when the sun comes out.

Meet Amy, one of our Housing with Support Officers

In our latest edition of our My Home magazine, a magazine specifically designed for residents living within our Housing with Support schemes, we introduced Amy Lewis, one of our Housing with Support Officers to give our residents an insight on the work they do to support them.

Amy Lewis is a Housing with Support Officer, who started working at PCH in a temporary contract in August 2022 and was successful in securing a permanent role within the organisation in June 2023.

Before joining PCH, Amy worked in the Care Sector for 11 years, and worked her way up to become a Senior Carer and Supervisor.

Amy said: “After working in the care sector for 11 years, the move to work within social housing has been extremely refreshing and I really enjoy working at PCH as a Housing with Support Officer. In my day-to-day role, it is wonderful to be able to move around, meet residents living in different schemes, see new people and take on new challenges, allowing me to utilise my skills in different areas. I work closely with my colleagues, which allows for a smooth transfer when I move to each of the three different schemes that I work in.”

What do you enjoy about working as a Housing with Support Officer?

“It can be challenging at times, but I really enjoy working with tenants and learning about their life and background. This allows me to be able to best support them and their needs appropriately and adequately. It is really interesting to build a rapport and learn about their lives so that I can discover what their needs and wishes are, enabling me to support and help to make that happen.”