Seaford Fact Sheet


This factsheet gives you information about Old Ben Homes Sheltered Housing at Seaford.

Valley Rise
Seaford
East Sussex
BN25 3DR

This information in this factsheet is correct at the time of writing. (July 2014- updated September 2019)

1 INTRODUCTION

Old Ben Homes Seaford is set in the beautiful Sussex Downs and is just a stone’s throw from the sea.

There are 40 bungalows in 10 sets of 4, 4 are 2 bedroom and the rest are 1 bedroom, all have a court yard at the back with their own sheds, surrounding each bungalow is a small garden which the residents tend to, we have extensive lawns which are looked after by our gardeners. Many of these Bungalows were donated by companies or individuals from the New Trade and there are plaques around the grounds to show this.

Old Ben Homes is situated in the village of Seaford in between Brighton and Eastbourne. The Scheme Manager/Warden and Estates Manager/Maintenance Manager work onsite from 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday and there is a 24 hour community alarm service. There is a communal lounge with regular activities such as bingo, coffee mornings, fish and chip suppers, knit and natter and darts.

There are a small selection of shops situated only 500 yards away and the town is about 1 mile away.

There is a local bus to town that runs every 30 minutes, the bus stop is only 400 yards away from the site.

2 IS OLD BEN HOMES HOUSING RIGHT FOR YOU

Whilst possibly offering a smaller, more manageable property with more security and support than you current accommodation you will need to consider if this is right for you as the new accommodation might be in an area you are not familiar with and further away from friends and family. . You may not be able to fit all your furniture in the property and you are not able to take any pets you may currently have. All these need to be taken into consideration when choosing sheltered accommodation

3 Occupancy

Old Ben Homes only offer properties to properties to occupy whilst paying a Weekly Maintenance Contribution and the aim is to assist people in greatest need who meet the following criteria:

  • You or your family have connections to the News Trade
  • You have a housing need because of the physical condition of your present home; or
  • You have medical or social reasons for wanting to move, such as poor health, disability, isolation from friends and family; and
  • You have a good reason for wanting to move (if you are not local already) to the area you apply for (for example, you want to be close to family or close friends)

To apply for Old Ben Homes for accommodation. Please contact the office on 01952 677257 for an application form or use the form provided here

4 CHOOSING A RETIREMENT HOME

The facilities in retirement housing vary from scheme to scheme; below are a number of points regarding Old Ben Homes you may want to consider before you decide if this is the right scheme for you:

4.1 Location
Old Ben Homes Seaford is situated in a small town location set within private grounds. We have a small pond with lots of fish in it and lovely gardens. There is a bus stop situated approximately 400 yards from the site which will give you access to other areas such as Seaford, Eastbourne and Brighton. The nearest Post Office ,GP surgeries and a bigger variety of shops are located in Seaford and Department stores are found in Eastbourne and Brighton.

4.2 Local Communal Facilities
There are a few local shops (A chip shop, hairdressers and a Newsagent ). There are several churches within walking distance There are also local pubs, Conservative and British Legion clubs nearby all situated on the bus route. A mobile library visits the site every two weeks and there is a communal lounge on site that offers various activities which include; bingo, coffee mornings, fish and chip suppers and residents meetings.

4.3 Transport
The local bus stop is situated approximately 400 yards from the site which will take you to Seaford, Brighton and Eastbourne. There are Rail links from Seaford station to Lewes and Brighton with easy access to Gatwick Airport and London.

If you have your own vehicle you can park on site.

4.4 Social Life
Social events are arranged via the residents committee and you can join in or not as you wish.

4.5 Pets
No pets are allowed at Old Ben Homes, with the exception of Registered Assistance or Disability Aid Dogs.

4.6 Design
Seaford’s site consists of 40 bungalows Each property is decorated before a new resident moves in and each property is re-decorated every 4-5 years on a rota system. Any further decoration e.g. feature wall, plumbing, carpentry, electrical installation will require permission from the Housing Manager and undertaken by our own Estates Manager/Maintenance Manager and Contractors this is done at the expense of the resident. All adaptations/aids must be requested in writing to the Housing Manager. It is also the resident’s responsibility to ensure any unwanted furniture/waste etc after alterations or new purchases are removed from the site.

4.7 Size
We have 4 two bedroom bungalows and 36 one bedroom, each has a Kitchen and Bathroom, some of which have showers, each bungalow has a large Lounge, there is storage space in the lounge and cupboards in the hall.

4.8 Noise
Old Ben Homes Seaford is situated in a quiet seaside town location .

4.9 Facilities for residents’ use
There is a communal lounge/kitchen/wc, which is easily accessible between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm. The hall is also open at weekends so you can pop along for coffee and a chat. The lounge is used on a regular basis for various activities such as coffee mornings, bingo, fish and chip evenings, darts , Knit and Natter and resident meetings.

4.10 The alarm system
The emergency alarm system is linked to a communications centre, they have set procedures to enable them to take care of you whilst the Scheme Manager/Warden is away and outside of the hours 9-5 Mondays to Fridays. The call system is switched to the Careline outside of those hours. They will notify your next of kin/family member if you are unwell, dial 999 in the event of an emergency. They will ring the fire brigade if your smoke alarm is activated and they will also help with emergency repairs such as no heat or hot water, leaking pipes or losing your keys. The off site care system is switched off by the Scheme Manager/Warden each morning at 9 am Mondays to Fridays and switched on again at 5pm each evening Monday to Fridays and remains on over the weekend until Monday mornings.

5 The Scheme Manager/Warden

The Scheme Manager/Warden works on site between the hours of 9 am – 5 pm and is available to help out in emergencies, report repair problems and give residents information on availability and access to services. The Scheme Manager/Warden is not available to carry out personal services such as shopping, cooking, cleaning and nursing but they may be able to help you arrange for additional services to be provided, e.g. by social services and other professional care workers.

6 Service Charges and Support Service Charges

As well as regular rent payments you will pay a regular service charge for the upkeep and cleaning of communal areas and support service charges this will include the Scheme Manager /Warden service and emergency alarm service.

There is also a Life Line Charge this Is an cost to cover an Emergency Pull cord Service that goes directly to the Scheme Manager when on duty or to a central call centre giving 24 hour cover for all emergencies when the Scheme Manager is off site

7 Other Charges

On top of regular rent payments and service charges you will have to pay your Council Tax, water rates, contents insurance,  TV licence (if you are under 75), telephone and energy bills.
If you are on a low income you may be able to get help to pay your Council Tax or Rent.

8 Almshouses

Almshouses are run by charitable trusts and offer low-cost accommodation for older people. Each charity has its own rules about the categories of people they can have. Old Ben Homes is an Almshouse originally set up for needy and under-privileged men and woman of the News Trade dating back to Charles Dickens time. Residents living in Almshouses, as beneficiaries of charity, do not have the same legal rights as tenants elsewhere. There is no security of tenure under law and the individual’s rights as a resident will be outlined in a ‘Letter of Appointment’ provided by the trustees.