King Erik House, Lerwick
The main focus of King Erik House is to provide social support so that individuals can remain engaged in their social lives. This involves supporting people to maintain social and family connections, and give people the help they may need to remain socially active. The service supports individuals to access other organisations such as day care services and Alzheimer’s Scotland, who organise social events for people who live with dementia and their carers. The service will also support individuals to attend appointments if required.
About King Erik House and its location
King Erik House occupies a central location in Lerwick at the corner of St Olaf Street and King Erik Street, overlooking the Jubilee Flower Garden floral gardens and the children’s play park. It is close to local shops, the post office, the library and other amenities.
Applying for a tenancy in King Erik House
Anyone wishing to apply for a tenancy within King Erik House can contact Shetland Islands Council Housing Service for a Housing Application form followed by an assessment. The application form must specify whether they require a single or two-person tenancy. All applications are considered in line with the Council Housing Support Allocations Policy.
The Team Leader for Support @ Home Central, King Erik House will confirm to the Housing Department if the assessment of needs can be met by the King Erik House Service in line with the Service criteria.
Number of self-contained flats
King Erik House has 16 self-contained flats.
Facilities
- King Erik House is extra care housing consisting of 16 self-contained flats and provides support to vulnerable adults who wish to continue to live in a home environment.
- Of the 16 self-contained flats, 6 can accommodate two persons and/or wheelchair users while the other 10 are designed for single people.
- Each flat has its own kitchen, living room, bedroom and shower room / toilet.
- Each flat is unfurnished, allowing individuals to decorate their own flat to their tastes and needs, including any aids or adaptions required.
- There is space for a washing machine and tumble dryer within each flat and tenants are encouraged to utilise this.
- Communal laundry is available within King Erik House.
- There is a drying green in the garden.
- Communal lounge with kitchenette, TV and CD player.
- The service provides 24 hour support to individuals, but aims to do so in a way which intrudes as little as possible into the individual’s life. The emphasis of the service is to offer a Person Centred enabling approach to all elements of daily living, engaging and participating in the wider community.
- The service encourages individuals to be involved as far as possible in shopping, cooking and cleaning. Some families like to help with shopping and cooking by doing a weekly shop, planning menus, or cooking meals. Chargeable home help services are available to support with these tasks if an individual is unable to complete them on their own or without the support of family or friends.
- There are facilities for an individual’s money to be managed daily through money in safe keeping, if this is required.
Activities
The service welcomes as much involvement from family members as possible when planning and delivering support, and will tailor support to fit around family involvement. King Erik House has a communal lounge which individuals and families can use. Families can use this lounge for events such as birthdays or family dinners.
A church service takes place weekly in the lounge, and King Erik House regularly organises activities for tenants such as card games, music evenings, baking and inter-generational visits.
What can I bring?
Tenants are welcome to bring any item to personalise their flat as it is their own private accomodation.
Keyworkers and Care Plans
Each individual using the service will be allocated a key worker whose role is to be the main point of contact for the individual and their family. The key worker will also be involved in creating and updating a care plan for the individual, which include documents such as a daily support plan and risk assessments and will include as much information as possible about the individual’s likes, dislikes and life history. Family involvement is very much encouraged in the creation of care plans in order for the service to learn as much as possible about the individual using the service.
Staff
All social care workers are registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and have an appointed Senior Social Care Worker who offers support and supervision, identifying training and development to ensure staff are confident and competent in their role.