River Network Housing

The RIVER NETWORK  is committed to supporting people, particularly in times of need, regardless of gender, race, ability, or faith. The RIVER NETWORK  supports people and their families at every stage of their lives by providing everything from housing and training to community health and fitness facilities. The RIVER NETWORK  encourages, supports, and challenges people to become all that they can.

If you are a vulnerable adult and facing homelessness or at risk of it in the near future, or if you feel that your present accommodation is unsuitable or unsafe, then we are here to help. You can get in touch with us by clicking on the relevant links, and we will take care of the rest.

For anyone outside of Matlock and Derbyshire Dales District Council please use the button below for referral.

Application Form

Looking For Accommodation?

River Network offers secure and reasonably priced homeless supported housing options in Derbyshire. Whether you need assistance in organising your life, accessing suitable benefits, or obtaining specific support for a health condition, we are available to help you find a suitable home.

Calling Landlords, Councils & Other Provides

River Network offers homeless supported accommodation in Derbyshire, utilizing various types of housing options ranging from one-bedroom flats to HMOs. We secure all our properties on a 5-year lease from landlords and handle everything from property management to repairs (excluding the roof and exterior drainage), as well as identifying vulnerable adults to house.

Partnering with River Network means you no longer have to worry about vacant rooms, late-night maintenance calls, or complaints to deal with. If you’re a landlord with an available property to lease and interested in supporting vulnerable adults, please share your details and property type with us, and we’ll respond as soon as possible.

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Terry has also authored thirteen books one being Service User Involvement that was birthed from the Government’s supporting people quality assessment framework (buy on Amazon). Based in Matlock Derbyshire and serving there and beyond.  The board, staff, and volunteers have decades of history in accommodation for a vulnerable adult and young people with other organisations and partnerships

At River Network, we have expanded into expanding out into homeless and those at risk of homelessness and housing for vulnerable people in Matlock and around Derbyshire. Housing and supported living for people who need support and help. Supported housing is an excellent way to help people get back on their feet and learn how to live an independent life. Having an address can also help both homeless people and young people get jobs and help them get stability back into their lives. People in supported housing usually receive Housing benefits or universal credit to help them pay their rent. We are hoping to help provide accommodation to the local community needing a safe space to call home. We welcome strategic partners.

RIVER Network housing is led by CEO Terry Eckersley who has over 25 years of experience in working in supported housing and holding a Professional Diploma in Housing and a Post Graduate Certificate and Post Graduate Diploma in Management Studies. He has worked with the YMCA AND other partner Councils and Housing Associations in three as part of over 140 YMCAS s in England (and many more in 125 other countries around the world). As of June 2023 River Network Housing has launched its first project in supported housing for homeless housing Matlock.

All our board, staff and volunteers come with decades and years of experience and qualifications into a culture of continual, professional development.

Read our the River Network Housing Vision Statement

Housing is necessary in today’s world, though many people go without regularly. Local councils must provide emergency housing to homeless families in the short term while they look into their Housing situation and decide how to best help them in the long term. To qualify for emergency housing a person must have nowhere else safe to stay, must have children, be pregnant, be homeless because of domestic abuse, be a care leaver aged 18 to 20, or be homeless due to fire or flood. They must also meet the immigration conditions.

Supported housing plays a crucial role in the health of communities by ensuring everyone can live their best life, hopefully in their own home where possible. Supported housing can also ease pressure off services such as the NHS and care services. It covers a wide range of service and plays an important role for many people regarding their safety and independence. These services cover:

  • Older members of communities
  • People with mental/physical disabilities
  • People who could be at risk or who are currently homeless
  • People recovering from alcohol/substance abuse and/or dependence
  • Younger people who many have a complex support need
  • People with mental health issues
  • People who are fleeing abuse

There are many different types of supported housing which can offer different levels of support. Some schemes may even offer help to people in their own house.

Floating Support services help by offering a person support in their own home and is often run by charities. This support service may help with:

  • Benefits
  • Budgeting
  • Maintaining your tenancy
  • Life skills such as learning to cook
  • Assessing care, local activities, education, training or advocacy

Shared Lives Schemes involve people living within someone else’s homes to be able to receive support. The people who they live with will be their landlord. This scheme is more common in some parts of the country than others.

Sheltered Housing is where a person lives in a block or group of flats. People in sheltered housing are monitored by a warden and will sometimes have extra supported staff. People in sheltered housing can support themselves, but they can get extra help if needed.

Group Homes give a person their own flat or their own bedroom, but they will share other living areas and facilities with other people (living room, kitchen, bathroom, etc.) With this type of supported housing residents support each other, although some places may have extra support from support workers.

Crisis Housing is offered when a person is in crisis and requires short-term accommodation as an alternative to going to the hospital or similar treatment facility. It can be offered for many different things, including people who may be having severe symptoms of hallucinations or delusions or people who may be feeling suicidal or harmful to themselves.

Short-Stay Hostels offer Housing for a short time for people who are homeless and have certain needs. The hostel may try to help a person develop the skills they need to live on their own. When a person gets a place in a Short-Stay Hostel they usually get their own room but, in an emergency, they may have to share. They may also get a support worker to help with their needs.

In 2015, 618,000 more young adults were living with their parents than were in 1996, with 3.3 million living with parents in 2015 and 2.7 million in 1996. Because of this, the government looked to increase the accessibility of affordable Housing for young people.
Within the same period of time the number of young adult homeowners aged between 19 and 25 years old has decreased, from 55% in 1996 to only 30% in 2015. For 30 to 34 year olds the decrease was from 68% in 1996 to 46% in 2015.

From May 2021 to June 2021 the price of UK Housing increased from 9.8% to 13.2%, the highest annual growth since November 2004. The average price of a house in the UK reaches £266,000 in June 2021, £31,000 higher than June 2020 a year earlier. At the same time, residential property sales fell 21.7%, to 619,518 by December 2020. In lower-layer super output areas (LSOAs) the median price paid for residential properties ranged anywhere from £24,000 to £5,000,000 within Hartlepool and Westminster respectively. In Chesterfield specifically, median house prices ranged from around £100,000 to £300,000.

An estimated 200,000 people are experiencing core homelessness in the UK. 288,470 households were owed assistance to prevent or relieve homelessness in England in 2019 and 2020, and by December of 2020, 95,370 homeless households were living in temporary accommodation – a rise off 7069 in just one year.

1246 people were counted sleeping rough on the streets in 2010 and 11,018 in 2011. These figures are considered inaccurate to some degree however, as experts believe this number to be a considerable underestimate as only people who were seen were counted. An estimated 62% of homeless people do not show up on official figures.

Many more people were taken into emergency accommodation in 2020 to protect them from the Covid-19 pandemic, but an estimated 2512 people currently in emergency accommodation on London could face rough sleeping once more as the scheme begins to end. An estimated 280,000 people were homeless in England in 2019 and that number will begin to rise again as restrictions and aid are lifted. It is estimated that the cost of a single person sleeping rough in the UK for 12 months is £20,128, while successful intervention costs £1426. In just 3 months, this can cost upwards of $4200 to NHS services, £2000 for mental health services, and £12,000 for criminal justice services.

River Network is partnering with Lighthouse Homes

RIVER NETWORK are excited to announce a new supported Housing partnership with Lighthouse homes starting January 2022. River Network who have been expanding and developing new staff, projects and programmes are honoured at this new partnership. […]

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