about us staff team working with the community how we are funded compliments and complaints case study customer care standardscontact us newsanchor staying put main site

Anchor Staying Put is a not-for-profit home improvement agency run by Anchor Trust, in partnership with West Sussex County Council, Mid Sussex District Council, Crawley Borough Council and West Sussex Primary Care Trust to help older and disabled people living in their own homes in the Mid Sussex, Crawley and Horsham area.

Anchor Staying Put Mid Sussex and Crawley was established in Mid Sussex in 1990 and was extended to include Crawley in 2004. The Agency provides a valuable service to older, disabled and other vulnerable people, which enables independent and healthy living in the home and community.

Offering a holistic and hands on home improvement agency service, the Agency has helped residents in the north of the County access a myriad of services and benefits as well as maintain, repair and adapt their homes.

Staying Put Core Service - repairs, maintenance and adaptations carried out by trusted contactors

The Staying Put team can help people obtain quality, good value building works carried out by contractors who are on the Agency’s preferred contractor list.  In recognition of the standards it sets for contractors on its list, the Agency is a partner of the West Sussex County Council Trading Standards Buy with Confidence scheme.

Examples of the types of work include:

• Installation of level access showers
• Stairlifts.
• Downstairs extensions with bathing, toilet and bedroom facilities.
• Access ramps and steplifts.
• Door widening for wheelchair access.
• Window and door repairs and replacements.
• Roof repairs and re Roofing.
• Rewiring.
• Central heating boilers.
• Gutters and rainwater goods.
• Pathways.
• Damp proof courses.

Ramp

Steplift

How do we help?

You may not be sure about what work needs to be done, which contractors to use to carry out the work, or how to pay for the work that needs to be done. For these larger works, Agency staff can advise you on the building options and help you through the process of getting quotes and selecting the contractor to do the work. Once the job is done, Agency staff will inspect the work. Agency staff can tell you about the different ways which are available to pay for the work, including council grants, charitable money and private finance. They can help you fill in grant application forms. More details of the service the Agency staff provide is set out below:

• Help to access grants and loans to pay for the work for example; Disabled Facility Grants, Energy Efficiency Grants and any grants or loans offered by the local council – and form filling.
• Technical service to assist with building works – site surveys; schedules of works and drawings/help with planning permission and buildings regulation applications/ help choosing a suitable contractor and obtaining quotes/on-site inspections/final inspection.
• Benefits advice – e.g. claiming pension credit and attendance allowance - and form filling.
• Finding other ways of paying for the building work i.e.: payments from charities and commercial loans.
• Signposting and help to access various local schemes such as West Sussex Fire Service free smoke alarms and safety checks, Anchor Staying Put Handyperson services and Trades Register, West Sussex Buy it with Confidence Scheme, Community Transport and other help with transport including free bus passes/taxi vouchers, Age Concern Day Centres and services such as befriending and escorted shopping.

Level access shower

The Mid Sussex and Crawley Handyperson Service and Trade Register Service

For those small jobs around the home that you can no longer do yourself, or it is not safe for you to do so, you may be eligible for the handyperson service. .

The sorts of work that can be done under these schemes include;

• Security improvements including door and window locks/chains and lighting.
• Safety improvements including grab rails, handrails, flooring repairs, catflaps, and lighting.
• Energy Efficiency measures including draught exclusion measures around doors and windows.
• Changing lightbulbs, putting up flat pack furniture, putting up pictures and curtain rails.

if the work that you need doing is likely to taker longer than two hours, is decorating or gardening then we may be able to help you using contractors on our Trades Register.  Or it may be that you feel very confidant about obtaining quotes from contactors yourself for the work you want done, but would like a contractor you can trust.

In order to be on the Trade Register, the contractors have to satisfy us in respect of things such as their financial statue, insurance and track record.  Once on the Trade Register the work carried out by contractors is monitored via site inspections and through routine and regular customer satisfaction measures.  In recognition of the good standards set for its contractors on the Trades Register, the Agency is a partner of the West Sussex Trading standards Buy with Confidence scheme.

Concrete pads installed for the handrails by the Anchor Staying Put Handyperson Service.