ESFSS

East Sussex Floating Support Service

The East Sussex Floating Support Service provides short-term housing-related floating support across East Sussex for vulnerable people, aged 16+, who require support to live independently.

 

What the Service provides

mother and childOur team of experienced staff provide flexible, personalised, short-term support including preventing homelessness, managing a tenancy, money management and accessing healthcare. Support will be provided in people’s own homes, via phone or video call, or in community venues.

We also signpost individuals and/or carers and family members to health and social care services, education, training and employment providers, and voluntary and community services that will assist with accessing and maintaining housing and living independently.

Changes to Eligibility Criteria

Following consultation during Autumn 2024, in May 2025, East Sussex County Council endorsed the proposed funding reduction of the East Sussex Floating Support Service from 1 October 2025.

From Monday 7 July 2025, there will be three referral pathways:

Pathway 1) via Health and Social Care Connect (HSCC)
Pathway 2) via Children’s Services
Pathway 3) via District and Borough Housing teams

Pathway 1 - via Health and Social Care Connect (HSCC)

Email [email protected] or phone 0345 60 80 191

Eligibility Criteria

The person is, or ordinarily is, resident in East Sussex, is aged 16 and over, is vulnerable and has, or is likely to develop, care and support needs due to e.g. age, disadvantage, disability, substance misuse or ill health, and is experiencing one or more of the accommodation risks listed below:

  • Has no accommodation
  • Is losing or is at risk of losing their accommodation
  • Living in temporary/emergency accommodation
  • Living in unsuitable housing
  • Having trouble managing their housing
  • Requires support to maintain their independence/at risk of losing their independence due to their housing situation
  • Requires support to move to accommodation that better meets their needs

Exclusions  - the Service will not be available to:

  • People aged under 16 years
  • People who are street homeless
  • People who are not ordinarily resident in East Sussex, including where placed in Temporary or other Accommodation in East Sussex by another local authority
  • People who are housed in a refuge
  • People who are housed in Supported Accommodation or Supported Living
  • Social Housing tenants
  • People moving into or living in Extra Care housing
  • People with Care Act eligible care and support needs and in receipt of Adult Social Care support
  • People open to the Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) Service

Exceptions to the above Exclusions:

  • People with Care Act eligible care and support needs and in receipt of Adult Social Care support ONLY receiving Occupational Therapy aids/equipment or Technology Enabled Care (TEC) and/or those experiencing domestic abuse (where not housed in a refuge).
  • People with Care Act eligible care and support needs and in receipt of Adult Social Care support where they are unable to be discharged from an acute hospital because they are unable to return to their previous address.

Pathway 2 - via Children's Services

Eligibility Criteria

Households including dependent children who are at risk of, or have received, an intentionally homeless decision as part of or following a homelessness application.

Pathway 3 - via District and Borough Housing Teams

Eligibility Criteria

To be agreed at a local level.

Other referral routes

Residents aged 60 and over

Residents aged 60 and over can self-refer to the service or be referred by friends/family. The Pathway 1 criteria will be used to determine eligibility for the service. You can find out more about this service in our Information leaflet for those over 60 , call 0800 023 9380 (freephone) or email [email protected]

Under 60’s referring back into the service

These self-re-referrals back into the service will no longer be accepted.

Downloads

Contact Details

Referral e-mail: [email protected]

Telephone for general enquiries: 01273 929394

Telephone for self-referrals: 0800 023 9380 (freephone)

Real life stories from BHT Sussex

Mia

Mia, a 75-year-old Spanish woman, was living in sheltered accommodation and had been facing significant financial difficulties for approximately five years due to an ongoing issue with her National Insurance (NI) number. This issue caused her benefits to be repeatedly stopped and reinstated, leading to substantial gaps in income. Without consistent benefits, Mia fell behind on her rent, accruing significant arrears, and was at risk of homelessness. This is her story. The Initial Challenge The root cause of the problem was an error made when Mia first registered for benefits: she was assigned the NI number of another individual with … Read more

Read the full case study

Dinah

Navigating the benefits system can be incredibly difficult, which is why our staff in the East Sussex Floating Support Service are highly trained and knowledgeable about the system. This allows us to help many people across East Sussex who are struggling to access benefits and ultimately improve their quality of life. One such person is Dinah, who came to us for help accessing more financial support. This is her story. The Initial Challenge Dinah is a homeowner who lives with a variety of health conditions, including osteoarthritis, diabetes, hypertension, mobility issues, and has a history of falls. Due to having … Read more

Read the full case study

Stan

Support for those in their old age looks different for everyone. This is why our East Sussex Floating Support Service individually tailors support to each person we serve. Stan’s case exemplifies the importance of this way of working. This is his story. Stan is a 90-year-old retired barrister who was referred to our East Sussex Floating Support Service by the NHS Community Frailty Practitioner Service, following his discharge from hospital after a fall. Stan is widowed, has a history of falls, and had recently moved into a sheltered housing scheme. However, the scheme had no floor coverings, contributing to his … Read more

Read the full case study

Wendy

Wendy and her adult son, who both live with autism, were facing severe housing challenges. Wendy is the sole carer of her son, who has mobility issues, and they were living in a property that was unfit for habitation. This is Wendy’s story. Wendy’s home was in a state of severe disrepair, with frequent flooding rendering the downstairs of the house uninhabitable. The constant environmental hazards worsened the challenges for Wendy and her son, making it increasingly difficult for both to maintain any sense of stability or comfort in their living conditions. Additionally, both Wendy and her son were agoraphobic … Read more

Read the full case study
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