Independent living

Independent & Supported Living

Everyone should feel safe in their own home which is why we are proud to offer a range of Independent Living options.

No matter what circumstances you may find yourself in – we can support you with an independent lifestyle, offering a selection of services and facilities designed to suit your needs.

If you are 55 or over, our retirement housing is available to buy or rent – perfect for those looking for amenities close by and living in a like-minded community.

Our supported housing is designed to assist you if you have learning or support needs, regardless of age.

We have more than 5,000 homes across the Midlands, East London and the South East of England providing a home for more than 7,000 customers.

Each scheme has an officer provided on-site to provide the exact assistance as and when you need it.

Find out more about Independent Living

Housing that meets your needs

The benefits of independent living

Range of housing and features

Retirement housing testimonials

How to move in to Independent Living

MyWellbeing

Lifeline services

Wellbeing services

Get involved in Retirement Housing

Aids and adaptations

Housing that meets your needs

Independent Living

If you are 55 and above and considering your housing needs as you grow older, our retirement schemes are specially made with your needs in mind.

Our Independent Living schemes offer different levels of support so you can find the home that suits you best.

Supported housing

If you need help with managing your tenancy, or need assistance with your mental or physical health, our supported housing could be the perfect fit for you. We help you live independently by offering you extra support to cater for your needs.

A wide range of specialist support is available so you can find a support package that is tailored to meet your needs.

The benefits of Independent Living

Independent Living

Repairs are taken care of*
The building and gardens are maintained
Live within a safe and secure community
Socialise with neighbours
Care services available
24/7 lifeline service in case of emergency
Scheme officer assistance
Option to buy your property
Range of activities for all abilities
Handy person service

* For rented customers.

Supported housing

Repairs are taken care of
The building and gardens are maintained
Socialise with neighbours
Specialist support provided
Access to communal facilities such as laundry
Integrated package of housing, support and care (where applicable), to help people to live as independently as possible
Intensive housing management service.

Range of housing and features

Read more about our retirement and supported housing schemes and features.

Independent Living community

Community schemes are made up of individual apartments within a scheme that is based within the community. This means that there are other houses around that are part of the wider community and not necessarily just for people aged 55 and above. This is a good way to integrate into a mixed age community. Community schemes also benefit from our Lifeline Service.

Independent Living sheltered

Our sheltered housing, usually best suited to those over the age of 55 and are made up of individual apartments and some bungalows.

You will have access to a range of communal facilities including communal lounges and gardens, which allow you to enjoy the space and socialise with your fellow neighbours and friends.

Sheltered schemes also have a dedicated Scheme Officer and run a host of wellbeing activities.

As with the community scheme, the building is maintained by us and includes the Lifeline Service, giving you added peace of mind.

Independent Living leasehold

Our leasehold scheme gives you the option of buying your home through a lease with us. These schemes are similar to our sheltered schemes where they are reserved for people aged 55 and above and made up of a mix of apartments and bungalows.

Independent Living extra care

Our extra care housing (ECH) schemes are like our sheltered housing homes but with the added benefit of an on-site care team to assist you (should you need it). If you don’t need care when you move in, you can choose to add this later on, if your circumstances change, so you have that flexibility.

As well as communal areas to socialise in, another great feature of extra care is having a restaurant/bistro on-site as well as other facilities that may include hairdressers and podiatrists. There is also an array of wellbeing activities on offer too.

The care services and features available at each Extra Care scheme may differ slightly. You'll be able to find out more about this when you talk to the scheme officer at a scheme you are interested in.

Supported housing

Supported housing is mainly for people who will benefit from learning or improving their independent living skills, due to life changing events homelessness or illness, or because of physical or learning disability.

Supported housing is any housing scheme where housing, support and sometimes care services are provided as an integrated package. Some schemes are long-term, designed for people who need ongoing support to live independently, others are short-term, designed to help people develop the emotional and practical skills needed to move into more mainstream housing. This can include support with health needs, including mental health, drug and alcohol use, managing benefits and debt, developing daily living skills and accessing education, training and employment.

The purpose of supported housing is to enable people to live as independently as possible within their community. Supported housing schemes support a wide range of people, including those who are homeless, people living with mental illness, learning disabilities or recovering from substance misuse, people who have spent their childhood in care, are fleeing domestic violence, or those who are elderly and need extra support to live independently. Supported housing services include homelessness hostels, refuges, sheltered housing and long-term accommodation for people with ongoing support needs.

Independent Living Scheme specifications

Features	Community	Leasehold	Sheltered	Extra Care
Safe and secure scheme	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Scheme officer	-	-	Yes	Yes
Lifeline service	Some	Yes	Yes	Yes
Self-contained flat with own front door	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wellbeing check	-	-	Yes	Yes
Communal lounge and facilities	Some	Some	Yes	Yes
Mobility scooter storage and charging	-	-	Some	Yes
Social activities	-	-	Yes	Yes
Communal garden	Some	Some	Yes	Yes
Guest rooms	-	Some	Some	Yes
Communal Wifi	-	Some	Some	Some
Restaurant	-	-	-	Some
Cafe	-	-	-	Some
Hairdressers	-	-	-	Some
Podiatrist	-	-	-	Some
Balcony	Some	Some	Some	Some
Laundry facilities	Some	Some	Yes	Yes
Spa bathrooms	-	-	-	Some
Carers on site	-	-	-	Yes
Handy person service	-	-	Some	Some
Shared ownership option	-	-	-	Yes
Better Days services	Yes	-	Yes	Yes
Bungalows	Some	Some	Some	Some
Full leasehold option	-	Yes	-	-

This is a guide of facilities, not available at every scheme.

Independent Living testimonials

“I have settled in my new flat very well, I absolutely love it. I have been with Orbit for over 20 years they are a very good landlord. Because of health reasons I needed to move out of my two bedroom house into sheltered housing, Orbit took all my needs into consideration and offered me a property that suited my needs. Linda who runs Hayley House has been very good, she explained the tenancy to me step by step, she was a great help which made the move a lot easier for me to cope with. Hayley House is a lovely safe place to live, well done Orbit.”
September 2020, Hayley House, Belvedere, Bexley

“Linda and Lynsey have made us very welcome and have given any help we needed. The other residents gave us a warm welcome and love their homes.”
September 2020, Bramley Court, Attleborough

“Excellent apartment and excellent customer service from Emma. Thank you.”
August 2020, Queensway Court, Leamington Spa

How to move in to Independent Living

Retirement living

Contact your Local Council to talk about your housing options and tell them you are interested in Orbit’s Retirement Housing
Look at Orbit’s Retirement Schemes available near you by searching on the Housing Care website
Contact us to discuss the scheme you are interested in.

Supported housing

Contact your Local Council to talk about your housing options and tell them you are interested in Orbit’s Supported Housing
Contact us to discuss the scheme you are interested in

My Wellbeing

Lifeline Services

Our Lifeline Service gives you the freedom to live independently in your own home.

The personal alarm provides you and your relatives with the peace of mind that should you need help, our service provides around the clock assistance available instantly from the press of a button, either from your fitted unit or your wearable pendant.

Security and reassurance starts from just £2.15 per week and set up and equipment costs. Find out more here.

More Information

Our Lifeline Service (also known as warden call systems) can be set up in your current home, with a small device that connects to your phone line. This allows you and your family to have extra peace of mind for your wellbeing if you live alone, or want 24/7 assistance in case of an emergency. You can pay for this by Direct Debit.

Within our retirement housing schemes, Lifeline Services are standard and they are built into the apartment and scheme building. They are charged through your service charge.

With both the Lifeline Services, in your current home away from our schemes, or within a retirement scheme, if you press your wearable pendant, or pull your pull cord, this automatically connects you to a monitoring centre who will respond to your call and send the emergency services if required.

We also have many more assistive technology devices which can be linked into the lifeline service system, such as: bed occupancy sensors, panic buttons, flood detectors and advanced exit sensors for added peace of mind.

Frequently asked questions:

What is the range of the pendant?

The pendant has a typical range of 50 metres from the base unit and can be worn outside the house in the garden.

Can I wear the pendant in the bathroom, bath and shower?

Yes, the pendant is water resistant but not fully waterproof.

What happens if I press the pendant by accident?

Simple - when the call is answered please tell the monitoring centre operator that you pressed it by accident.

Do I need to test my pendant?

Yes, to make sure all of your lifeline equipment is working we asked you to press the button at least once a month, to ensure that the system is working properly and to ensure you understand how it works.

How do I know when the battery in my pendant is running low?

By completing your monthly test call, the monitoring centre will be able to see if your batteries need replacing and they will then arrange for this to be done.

What if I lose my pendant?

You can still call for help from the alarm button on the base unit. A replacement pendant can be provided at a small additional cost.

Can I have more than one pendant per base unit?

You can have multiple pendants linked to a base unit.

What happens if there is a power cut?

If there is a power cut, please don't worry as there is a battery in the base unit that will keep the system working for approximately 40 hours.

Do you keep any medical details to help emergency services?

Our monitoring centre will keep some medical information on file, as well as details of your doctor, to assist the emergency services.

I have moved to a new house, who do I need to inform of my change of details?

You need to tell the monitoring centre your new address, telephone numbers and any change to keyholders. Please call the customer services team on 0345 605 0551. When you move, simply unplug the system and then plug into your new telephone point and electrical socket at your new home.

I want to change the details of my keyholders – how do I do this?

No problem - just contact the customer services team on 0345 605 0551 to advise the details you wish to change.

What should I do if I want to cancel the service or no longer require them?

The service offers real reassurance for both you and your loved ones that there is help at the press of a button 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you no longer wish this benefit, please call 0345 605 0551 and tell customer services that you no longer require the service.

Lifeline service testimonials

88% of users said they would be likely to recommend Apello to others (2019: 85%)

Customers who have used the service have told us they are delighted with the added peace of mind it brings them. Here is what a few of them had to say:

“Excellent knowing somebody to help 24 hours a day or night. I feel safe knowing it’s there.”

“It makes me feel safe – a great comfort when you are on your own.”

“All I can say is they are helpful, caring and kind and put you at ease.”

Wellbeing services

Your wellbeing is important to us. That’s why we offer a range of activities and support. From scheme activities and customer engagement to diabetes clinics, community support groups and home adaption to help make your life easier.

Browse what we have to offer to find something that might suit you.

Get involved in Independent Living

Involving you in everything we do, and using feedback to keep improving, is at the heart of Independent Living. There are lots of ways you can get involved:

Monthly customer meetings
Monthly drop-ins at each scheme held by Area Managers, to have a say in how the scheme is run and to build relationships with our team
Twice annual service charge meetings, chaired by Area Managers to discuss scheme specific charges and services
Individual scheme Resident Associations who have regular contact with scheme employees and our management team at some schemes
Suggestion boxes onsite and/or central email boxes for use 24/7
Customer surveys led by our Customer Insight Team and Service Development Teams. Including first impressions after new lets and input into shaping our service going forward
An involved customers team, which include people from all regions / tenures / schemes (not just Independent Living) who review and suggest improvements on policies and ways of working across all of Orbit
Customer association meetings

Aids and adaptations

If you feel like you need a bit of help to make it easier to get around your current home, then we can offer aids and adaptations which could help you with things such as grab rails, stairlifts and level access showers and more.

Why not consider our retirement housing schemes as an option, as well? Our homes in these schemes are set up to be accessible for physical needs and have care available as well, should you need it.

We have an aids and adaptations policy to assess your application to make sure we are fair to ensure we spend limited funding carefully.

We also consider the scale of the changes needed. Minor adaptations, likely to cost less than £1,000, can often be carried out as part of our normal repairs service for customers. (This includes things like grab rails, hand rails, tap changes etc.)

Major adaptations (more than £1,000) need an assessment from an Occupational Therapist to ensure that the changes are right and meet your needs. (This includes things like level access showers, stairlifts, large ramps etc.)

How to make an application for:

Minor adaptations

If you believe that the change you need to your home is likely to cost less than £1,000, you can simply request this as a repair booking. Go to Book a repair

Major adaptations

If the changes you need are likely to cost more than £1,000, please contact us first and we will get in touch to discuss your needs. We will contact you within five working days of receiving your request.

Activities at Heathcote

Gardening at one of our schemes

Queensway development

Rosalind Court: Modern retirement living within historic Stratford-upon-Avon

Set in the heart of Stratford-upon-Avon, our Rosalind Court is a stylish development of 102 brand-new one and two-bedroom apartments, providing independent living for the over 55s.

Rosalind Court: Modern retirement living within historic Stratford-upon-Avon

The development is designed to suit all lifestyles and stages of retirement. Whether residents prefer to get involved with the activities on offer, enjoy a coffee in the lounge bar, or a quiet book in the library – Rosalind Court provides high quality, affordable, self-contained apartments which encourages residents to live independently, whilst having access to a range of communal facilities.

Retired Account Manager Anthony Flavell, talks about his fantastic Orbit experience when moving into his stylish new one-bedroom apartment…

In December last year, Anthony, 79, moved into his new one-bedroom apartment at Rosalind Court in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Anthony had previously lived in retirement housing across town, but after hearing about Rosalind Court’s outstanding facilities, he decided to pay the development a visit. Right from the outset, Anthony was impressed with the specification at Rosalind Court.

The development has a large, stylish communal lounge area on the ground floor, with a fully equipped kitchenette and cosy fireplace. There is also an open plan high ceiling sky bar and external roof-top terrace, which can be used by residents to relax, socialise or host events.

Each apartment has its own front door, spacious bedrooms, lounge, fully fitted kitchen and level access shower room, offering residents a completely independent lifestyle, with the opportunity to socialise and get involved with the community if they wish.

There is also a range of support and care options available, tailored to meet the needs and requirements of each individual. This was reassuring for Anthony, as he liked the idea of having extra care available on site, if or when he should need it.

Commenting on his experience with Orbit, Anthony said: “I chose to move to Rosalind Court because of the fantastic in-house facilities. Orbit have provided me with a wonderful apartment, with a fully fitted kitchen and spacious living room. The whole apartment is new, modern, light and airy.

“But the best thing about my new apartment is the balcony! It is great having my own outdoor space and it gives me the opportunity to sit outside in the fresh air. I am now busy filling my balcony with plants and I am looking forward to the summer months when I can sit outside and enjoy my new balcony garden!

“The support I have received from the staff at Rosalind Court has been brilliant. Moving home can be a stressful time, but Orbit went out of their way to make sure I was settled in as quickly and smoothly as possible – I would recommend them to anyone! The activities coordinator is great at engaging the residents here too, and I am looking forward to getting involved in some of the activities when I can!”

Rosalind Court is a modern gem within historic Stratford-upon-Avon. The new development offers the benefit of renting your own home, free from worries of outside maintenance and gardening but still providing private, beautifully landscaped gardens and communal areas to enjoy.

Apartments at Rosalind Court have a state of the art, digital emergency lifeline alarm system installed. The system allows residents to contact staff in emergencies, who can respond in seconds by voice. It also allows residents to contact neighbours free of charge and has video entry, so visitors can be seen before they access the building.

Rosalind Court is situated close to local amenities and is just a short walk away from two local GP surgeries, Stratford Upon Avon Hospital, Stratford Upon Avon Railway Station and Morrisons supermarket.

For residents with families further afield, the M40 is close-by, offering good road links to the rest of the county and beyond. Within the town, there are also several bus routes for local travel, as well as a variety of high street shops, eating establishments and the world-famous royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

Explore our Latest News