Help
Frequently asked questions about the services we provide
Rent
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How do I pay my rent?
There are many ways that you can pay your rent. To find out all the different ways you are able to pay rent, please go to How to pay my rent, located on the help advice page of the Residents' Section.
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My benefits have been suspended, what do I do?
There are many reasons why your benefits have been suspended. If you would like to talk to someone about this, speak to your key worker/reception staff or contact head office on 0207 485 8889.
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Why are you sending me rent demands when I am not working?
Even when you are not working you are still responsible for ensuring that your rent is paid on time. If it is not, you may lose your home.
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When and why is my rent increasing?
An increase in rent happens at the beginning of the financial year in April. Increases in rent are based on the rate of inflation as set by government. Services charges may also increase due to general increases in costs such as electricity.
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What is included in the service charge?
Service charges include the maintenance and cleaning of communal areas. It also includes the electricity for these areas. If there are lifts where you live, the service charge ensures these are in good, safe, working order. Where there are communal gardens or terraces, the maintenance of these is also part of the service charge.
Repairs
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How do I report a non emergency repair?
If you are a permanent general needs resident you can report a non emergency repair in three ways:
- By Phone: Please contact head office during office hours on 020 7485 8889.
- Online: You can log all routine repairs online by going to the Log Repairs page of the Residents' Section
- By Email:You can also log all routine repairs by emailing us at info@sih.org
If you are living in one our temporary accommodation hostels (either supported or general needs) please speak directly to either your key worker or reception staff.
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How do I report an emergency repair?
If you are a permanent general needs resident and have an emergency repair, please do not report it online. Please contact head office during office hours (Monday - Friday: 9am-5pm) on 020 7485 8889.
If it happens out of office hours or at weekends please ring our out-of-hours number on 020 7372 6633 and we will ensure it is dealt with as soon as possible.
If you are living in one of our temporary accommodation hostels (either supported or general needs) please speak directly to either your key worker or reception staff.
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How do I report a heating or hot water problem?
If you are a permanent general needs resident and you are experiencing heating or hot water problems, please contact Milverdene Ltd directly on:
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020 8201 3377 or 020 8201 3388: Mon - Fri 9am to 5pm and Sat 8.30am to 1.30pm.
020 8205 2199: out of office hours.
If you are living in one of our temporary accommodation hostels (either supported or general needs) please speak directly to either your key worker or reception staff.
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The repairs operative who was supposed to come and fix my repair has not turned up, what should I do?
If you are a permanent general needs resident and the repairs operative has not arrived for your scheduled appointment, please call head office 020 7485 8889 and we will look into what is happening for you. If you are living in one of our temporary accommodation hostels (either supported or general needs) please speak directly to either your key worker or reception staff.
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When will my repair be done?
All repairs are defined as either an emergency, urgent or routine.
Emergency - Safety, security, health response etc, e.g. burst pipes/tank, gas leaks, complete failure of electricity supply, re-securing of a property. To be completed or made safe within 24 hours
Urgent - Roof leaks, water leaks and essential repairs, e.g. repairs to electrical points, WC's, basins, kitchen sinks, defective gutters, repairs to doors and windows. Maximum time 7 days
Routine - Any defect that does not cause a resident discomfort, e.g. repairs to kitchen fittings, repairs to plaster, dripping taps/showers, window/door casing repairs, repairs to tiling and other minor day to day repairs. Maximum time 21 days
To find our more about the repairs process please view our Repairs and Maintenance Policy which is located under Key Policies.
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Why has no-one contacted me about my repair?
If you are a permanent general needs resident and would like to find out the status of a repair, please call head office on 020 7485 8889. If you are living in one of our temporary accommodation hostels (either supported or general needs) please speak directly to either your key worker or reception staff.
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Who is responsible for repairs?
Sapphire Independent Housing is responsible for repairing the structure and outside of your home, our fixtures and fittings and any communal shared areas.
These will include
- the roof, walls, doors and windows
- drains and outside pipes
- installations for supplying gas (including boilers) water, electricity, installations for heating rooms and water and any lift service
- fixtures and fittings (including sinks, baths, toilets, kitchen units and waste pipes)
- shared areas including entrances and stairways
You are responsible for keeping your home in a good decorative condition. You are also responsible for minor repairs such as replacing tap washers, fuses and light bulbs
To find out more about who is responsible for the various types of repairs to the property go to Repairs and your Home, located on the Help and Advice page of our Residents' Section.
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How do I report a communal repair?
If you are a permanent general needs resident and have noticed a repair in the communal area of your building please contact head office on 020 7485 8889.
If you are living in one of our temporary accommodation hostels (either supported or general needs) please speak directly to either your key worker or reception staff.
Compliments/complaints/suggestions
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How do I make a compliment/complaint/suggestion?
If you would like to log a compliment or complaint or you have a suggestion on how we can improve our service, this can be done in three ways:
- You can complete our online form which will be submitted directly to our head office ( Please note this service is temporarily unavailable due to a technical glitch, though complaints can be emailed to info@sih.org)
- You can speak to a member of staff directly via the telephone on 020 7485 8889
- You can complete our compliment/complaint/sugestion feedback form in person at our head office or at your scheme reception.
Applying for housing/accommodation
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How can I get on your waiting list for a home, or apply for housing?
Sapphire Independent Housing does not operate an open waiting list. Service specifications (particularly for supported accommodation) and nomination/referral agreements with Local Authorities with whom we work have been agreed.
General Needs self contained units:
Sapphire Independent Housing does not operate an open waiting list for its self contained units. For most of our vacancies we are obliged to take nominations from bodies that helped to fund or facilitate the development of the units such as The Clearing House or Local Authority.Any other vacancies are offered to Sapphire residents from our hostels who have shown that they are ready to move on to the next stage of independent living.
Short-Term accommodation:
All applications for short-term accommodation must be done by completing and submitting an application form.
You must complete an application form which can be emailed to info@sih.org or sent directly to Bethany House
A member of staff is always available during office hours to answer any questions or help you complete the form via. You can contact Bethany House directly on 0207 837 3420.
Once we process your application your name will be added to the waiting list if the accommodation is full. When a room becomes available a member of staff will contact you to set up an appointment for an interview.
If you have any queries in regards to the referral process, you can contact both schemes directly:
Bethany House: 020 7837 3420
Supported Accommodation:
Supported bedspaces are commissioned by the respective Local Authority.
Selection Criteria:
Some schemes have specific admission criteria for applicants. The Association has specialist accommodation for women or men only.
For further information on the different access routes for our schemes please refer to our Allocations Policy which is located in key policies.
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I’ve been on the council’s waiting list, why haven’t I been offered anything yet?
If you haven’t been offered anything it is likely that we don’t have any accommodation that is suited to your needs. For example, within our housing stock the majority of our self contained general needs properties are for single people and are one bedroom units To be offered accommodation at our supported hostels you will need to have been nominated by the respective local authority.
