Guardianship – Together For The Community

A new programme has been launched in the South West of England to help tackle housing shortages for health and social care workers and to provide company for people with a spare room to rent.

Householders will be able to offer space to fully-vetted students, NHS staff or Social Care Workers, who in return will provide a few hours’ help each week, if required, as well as companionship.

The programme, spanning Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset, is known as Guardianship – Together For The Community .

It is being overseen by Supportmatch Homeshare, an established UK firm, which has set up the non-profit Support&Match Community Interest Company to match individual homeowners with “Guardians”.

The programme has been developed with Supportmatch Homeshare by NHS England and NHS Improvement in the South West.

Elisabeth O’Mahony, Regional Director for NHS England and NHS Improvement in the South West, said:

“Shortage of affordable homes in the South West is damaging the NHS and social care, because staff often can’t find anywhere to live -and what they do find is often too expensive”.

“That makes it hard to recruit and keep key personnel at a time when they’re needed more than ever.

“At the same time, we know a lot of people would value some company at home and have spare room. Others might just want to help the NHS and social services”.
“So it’s a simple way of making a real difference for everyone involved”.

If you have an interest in one of our other Homeshare models please visit the main page of www.supportmatch.co.uk.

To participate in our Guardianship referral programme, please fill the form below or email the form at: info@supportmatch.co.uk