Floating Support is now relatively well established as a housing service and is increasingly popular and effective as a means of enabling people with special needs to live in ordinary self contained housing.
It is called Floating Support because individuals may not need the support permanently and eventually the support “floats off” to someone else.
Historically, supported housing has developed in special projects or schemes. The accommodation and support are tied in together as a package, usually in shared schemes, so that when users no longer required the support, they had to move on to other accommodation.
Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, along with the development of community care, a clear message from people with support needs was that they wanted to live in ordinary self contained housing. Norfolk is no exception to this national trend, as JHS-facilitated surveys have consistently shown.
As services have developed, attitudes about how they should be delivered have changed and, more importantly, funding systems have responded to change.
It is no longer assumed that meeting the housing and support needs of people must be done by accommodating them in purpose built supported housing schemes such as group homes or hostels. Self contained housing with an appropriate level of support is now seen as a positive option which fits well with the Government’s social inclusion agenda.
Julian Housing has pioneered floating support for people with mental health problems – beginning with a small experimental project in Norwich in 1990, we now provide floating support in every district of the County.

The role of the Floating Support Worker is fundamental in helping prevent a deterioration in someone’s mental health, by absorbing some of the stresses involved in maintaining a tenancy. Whilst the support worker can help with basic issues such as benefits, services and practical tasks, the sustaining role of floating support cannot be overstated.
The Floating Support Worker can assist people to achieve or retain their chosen life style, maximize their independence and help avoid re-admissions to hospital . They will also help tenants access the resources of the wider community, to help them back into the social mainstream. Many clients suffering from severe and ongoing mental ill health have talents and strengths that may remain hidden. The Floating Support Worker can help build a tenant’s confidence, developing and strengthening coping strategies.
Users of services consistently say that having a reliable and trustworthy support worker aids their recovery, and supports them in building strategies to maintain their tenancy and live successfully in their local community. Playing a part in this can give people a sense of purpose, reduce stigmatisation and promote inclusion.
Well targeted Floating Support promotes mental health by helping to develop coping strategies, to retain accommodation and promote integration into the wider community.Floating Support can be more or less intensive,depending on assessed needs, and if necessary long term. It was initially restricted to tenants of Housing Associations ,it is now available to any tenure, as part of the new Supporting People regime.( SP funding tends to be short term,up to two years)
Julian Housing can offer support to people in any tenure, because core funding from Norfolk PCTs and Social Services matches supporting people funding ,this includes home owners and homeless people.
A minority of people with mental health problems cannot cope with this level of independence and may choose accommodation with 24 hour support (See Bakery Court).