An RP is a Registered Provider of housing, in England this is the name for a registered housing association, in Wales and Scotland they are referred to as Registered Social Landlords (RSL’s). They work alongside care providers to take on the property management with a service level agreement between the two organisations. Here are some reasons why care providers should consider working with one:
1) Lease management
They will liaise with the property owner to arrange the details of the lease, take on the cost of writing the lease and the time to negotiate, they are experienced at this.
An RP will also arrange the tenancy agreement with the tenants living at the property, liaising with social workers and court of protection if the tenants are not deemed to have competency.
No deposit from you would be required.
2) Liaising with the local authority
RP’s liaise with the local authority to claim enhanced housing benefit. They are experienced at rent setting and working with local authority benefits teams to ensure tenants get the right level of housing benefit. This is not a simple process and can be very time consuming.
The local authority can claim back 100% of housing benefit from local government (this is only 60% if a charity or CIC claims the benefit) and so this makes your supported living scheme more attractive to the local authority. Landlords also have more security as most RP’s are well established and as such able to offer greater financial security.
3) Repairs and maintenance
RP’s will take on the property management and arrange all the repairs and maintenance allowing you to focus on providing care and support. Getting the intensive housing management part of supported living schemes right is not easy, and an experienced RP is already set up to do this. You don’t need to be the one trying to find someone to fix a window on a Sunday or repair a broken kitchen door on a bank holiday.
4) Peace of mind
You can rest assured your supported living scheme is set up in the most compliant way, as there is clear separation of care and tenancy as recommended by the Care Quality Commission in Registering The Right Support.
5) Reputation
Working with an RP could make your organisation look more professional and credible, this can help you get more referrals and improve your reputation especially with the local authority.
6) Save time
You can save time by working with an RP as they take on a lot of the paperwork and administration around the tenancy which can be time consuming for you to complete, especially if it is all new to you, this allows youmore time to focus on what you’re good at, delivery of a quality service.
How to find the right RP for your organisation
Not all RP’s will be willing to work with your organisation, some have a clear remit to only work with certain tenant groups or in specific areas, and some will only work with care and support providers who are established, registered, and with a track record of good care.
It is always important to do your due diligence on an RP before you enter into an agreement with one. You also need to be happy with any agreement you sign, and ensure that your organisation is not taking on too much risk. However, if you can find the right RP to partner with the potential benefits can make a real difference to you and your organisation.
If you are registered with Supported Living Gateway as a care provider and want to partner with an RP on a scheme we can introduce you to RP’s who may be willing to work with you. See more member benefits and sign up here.
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash.
