Housing Options and Advocacy/Advice Services
My Great Life has links with registered housing associations such as Lets for Life who Jayne helped to set up and register with the Homes and Communities Agency.
There are also links with Rightful Housing a registered charitable organisation. They have just completed their first property under the Transforming Care Capital Programme with Jayne running that project from start to finish.
My Great Life will only work with genuine investors who know all about supported housing and are committed to providing long term appropriate specialist housing.
What can we help with?
My Great Life can give professional advice, support and training on the following.
How to get bespoke housing in the community and good care.
Personal budgets and setting up you own support. A whole range of options.
Crisis planning and planning for the future
Models of housing including:
Shared ownership. Jayne was the first person in the UK to create a model of a shared ownership home for a person with learning disabilities. She and others on the team received an award in the House of Lords for innovation and creativity from Lord Rix of Mencap
Leasing from the private sector
Getting housing grants from the Transforming Care capital programme applications and continuing development.
Family purchase of housing
Renting in the private sector
Finding an investor and housing provider to purchase and deliver high quality specialist housing
Reach standards (Jayne was one of the original authors) and the Real Tenancy Test. Advice on CQC registration of supported housing
Training and advice in excellent supported housing management.
Problem solving with landlord / care organisation and resolution
Registration of housing organisations with the Homes and Communities Agencies
Setting up a genuine not for profit
Welfare benefits advice
Advocacy and mediation with a range of organisations, including statutory organisations. This is family advocacy and not individual statutory advocacy
Court of protection proceedings advice and training
Help in getting released to the community from assessment unit/hospital if you are sectioned under the mental health act 2005 or likely to be admitted.
Jayne has represented many individuals successfully but will now be assisting at a distance not attending in court, or meetings. This will be a new training area to support others to learn this work.
Take a look also at our You Know Page for our other advice services
My Great Life has always provided all of these services free of charge. It will be considering a suggested donations structure for bigger pieces of work in the future that is affordable so that more people can be trained in this work to carry on in the future. See our donations page
Professional Testimonials
We began working with Jayne knight some four years ago. The work was to fund suitable housing for two young women with complex health needs who need and wanted a place of their own. We needed a forever home and a one that could be adapted to meet the specific needs of the two women who had chosen to live together.
We worked with Jayne from day one and she helped both women, their families and Orbis Support through the complex journey of finding and funding a home. Jayne has an incredible gift for engaging and involving all stakeholders and ensuring the two tenants’ voices were heard and acted upon. We had a deadline to hit and we did it with Jayne’s support. In the four years since she has constantly been on hand to support and we have seen the house we first identified turn into a lovely home for two women we support.
In my opinion, it is the lack of suitable housing that means many people are still in hospitals or in inappropriate accommodation. Jaynes support to Orbis and the people we support has literally been life changing. I have seen too many “quick fixes” around housing that have not worked! Housing is a crucial part of the success of community placements. Having Jayne as an expert and a guide has led to outcomes we are all proud of.
— Nigel Devine, Orbis Support
Jayne Knight is a vital source of information, support, consultancy and risk management for Lets for Life. She was instrumental in us becoming a Registered Provider with the Regulator of Social Housing.
During the many years I have worked with and known Jayne, her values and ethics are always at the forefront of her consultancy, voluntary advocacy and work with My Great Life. She is genuinely customer centric and emits passion in everything she does.
Jayne's excellent reputation in the field of supported housing, advocacy and human rights speaks for itself. From our experiences of working with Jayne, her expert knowledge and experience in Specialised Supported Housing have always been spot on and been key for Lets for Life being able to grow.
— Catherine Bennett, Lets for Life
I was fortunate to find My Great Life and more importantly Jayne Knight just over five years ago. It came at a time when I had hit a crisis point and needed to find a home for my son who has autism and LD.
Jayne helped us to find a solution to the housing and since then has become a trusted advocate both to my son and myself.
My Great Life and Jayne in particular is extremely passionate and dedicated to people with disabilities who have been failed or finding it very difficult to find housing and/or support. She thinks outside the box and is always trying to think of creative solutions to what some deem impossible.
After six years and through not giving up on my beliefs Jayne put me in contact with a provider called Seco Support and for the first time in a very long time I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I can now see a brighter future for my son who will now have the bespoke quality relationship based support he needs. This will hopefully mean he will be happier and I can begin to rebuild a more positive life for us both as if he is happy I can relax and be happier too. This is all thanks to My Great Life and Jayne Knights expertise and knowledge is priceless for who I will be ever thankful to for not giving up on us and for putting us in touch with such an amazing bespoke provider.
— Jules .. , ..