[Jo Williamson]

Hi Verney. We charge in arrears, which does take some of the pressure off at the start while HB is getting sorted. In reality we’d usually just let things settle for a few weeks if a claim is in and keep an eye on it, rather than asking for anything upfront.

If there is a bit of a gap we’d normally just agree something small with the resident to chip away at it over time, whatever’s actually manageable for them. Asking for a full first payment can be quite hard for people and doesn’t always help in the long run.

We’d treat that kind of thing as a one off depending on the situation rather than changing the whole approach, so long as it’s documented and clear it doesn’t become the norm.

On the LA point that feels slightly separate, more about how the council are doing things, though we’d support the resident with information and signposting where we can.

We’ve also found it worth pointing residents towards Discretionary Housing Payments or local schemes in either situation, whether it’s a delay at the start or a move on, as they can sometimes help bridge that initial period.

[Jo Williamson]

Hi William — we’ve been looking at this as well, particularly as more residents find it harder to access bank branches.

If your residents are already asking about Direct Debit, then a provider such as GoCardless is probably one of the more commonly used and cost-effective options. From what we’ve explored, it’s relatively straightforward to operate once set up.

Cost-wise, it’s typically around 1% per transaction but capped (usually at around £2 per payment), so in practice the cost per resident per month is fairly modest.

It seems a sensible route where residents are already asking for it, particularly if it avoids them needing to travel to amend standing orders.

In some cases, residents may also choose to involve a trusted family member to help with things like online banking, if they’re comfortable with that — although that won’t suit everyone. It does feel more broadly that there’s a gap in support for people as they’re expected to navigate the online world as they age.

Interested to hear what others are using in practice.

[Jo Williamson]

belated thank you for all those replies

[Jo Williamson]

HI Lynn I think it depends on the type of safeguarding incident (no need to disclose here obviously!) and I would be wary of answering before I knew more. Another thing I would be wary of in your shoes is “going it alone” as in the trustee/charity deciding unilaterally whether and what kind of risk assessment to carry out. It could be that its a perfectly legitimate thing to do or it could be “boundary creep” and straying in to territory which can be a legal minefield should things take that turn. I would give The Association a ring for more specific advice if I were you . We have indeed had safeguarding concerns with residents in the past but any risk assessment was done under the guidance/input of professionals.

[Author]

Posts