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How do I apply?

How do I apply?

You can:

  • download an application form here
  • pick up a paper copy from our GHA offices
  • get a form from the Housing Reception at Edward T Wheadon House, Le Truchot.

The application form asks questions about your current living arrangements, your finances and your care and support needs. Please provide as much information as possible as this helps us assess whether you are eligible for extra care housing. You will need to specify which extra care development you would like to live at or that you’d be happy to live at either. Our Privacy Policy tells you what to expect when GHA processes your personal information.

If you would like help completing the application form please contact us and we will assist you.

What happens after I send in my application form?

Once your application has been received by Housing, it will be determined whether you meet the criteria for partial ownership or rented accomodation. This will solely be based on your financial circumstances. Housing will then confirm that you're locally qualified before passing your application form onto our Extra Care team. You will be notified in writing that your application form has been received.

When you're nearing the top of the waiting list, you will be contacted by the social work team to arrange an assessment of your care and support needs.

During the visit, they will:

  • talk to you about your care and support needs
  • assess whether your current accomodation is suitable
  • discuss whether extra care housing is the right option for you

With your permission, they may contact your doctor or other health and social professionals involved in your care.

This assessment will then be reviewed by the needs assessment panel who make the final decision. The panel may agree or decide that your care needs are either too low or too high for extra care housing.

What if the scheme manager decides that my care needs are too low or too high for extra care?

If this happens:

  • your application will be referred back to Housing for other accomodation options
  • if your care needs are too high, your case may be referred back to the social work team within Health and Social Care.
If extra care housing is not suitable

If extra care housing is not the right option, but changes to your current home may improve your quality of life, the Social Work team may, with your permission, refer you to Housing or another relevant agency.

They will discuss alternative options with you, which may include:

  • adapting your current home
  • moving to more suitable accommodation
  • applying for social housing, if eligible
What happens if the needs assessment panel rejects my application?

The Needs Assessment Panel might disagree with the Scheme Manager and decide that the level of care you require is too low, or too high, for extra care housing.

 In either scenario your application will be referred back to Housing. Additionally, if your care needs are too high for extra care, the Panel will refer your case to the social work team within the Health and Social Care team.

 Whatever the Panel decides with regards to your care needs, you can ask for the decision to be reviewed.

Joining the waiting list

If your application is approved, you will be placed on the waiting list for your chosen development.

The time you wait will depend on:

  • your individual circumstances
  • how often flats become available
  • the needs of other applicants on the waiting list
How flats are allocated

When a flat becomes available, the Nominations Panel review the waiting list and decide who should be offered the property.

The Nominations Panel includes representatives from:

  • Guernsey Housing Association
  • Health and Social Care

The Panel considers a range of factors when making each allocation, including:

  • the applicant’s current care and support needs
  • whether the available flat is suitable for those needs
  • the urgency of the applicant’s housing circumstances
  • the mix of care needs across the development
  • maintaining a balanced community across different age groups
  • whether the applicant has applied for rental or partial ownership, where available

Each extra care scheme is designed to support a balanced community, with a mix of residents who have low, medium and higher care needs. This helps ensure that care services can be delivered effectively and that the development remains suitable for a range of residents.

Because of this, flats are not always offered based only on how long someone has been on the waiting list. A person who has applied more recently may sometimes be offered a flat first if that property is considered a better match for their needs and for the overall balance of the scheme.

The Panel reviews each vacancy individually and makes a decision based on the circumstances at the time the flat becomes available.