Unexpected visitor

matthewkevin84

On: 26th Feb 2024 (early morning) a fellow tenant entered my abode uninvited/ without permission, the manager of the assisted living company has been informed of this incident but as far I am aware nothing has been done with this in mind I am reaching out for advice on here obviously other than contacting the assisted living company and my Housing Association.

I have today sent an email to my Housing Association for the attention of the manager/CEO.

For further information my land lord is a Housing Association and I live in supported living so am now allowed to lock myself inside my abode.

matthewkevin84

*I informed my social worker re this who was useless and merely said he expected to talk to her.

Cantilip

How did this person enter? Was the door open, literally, ajar/shut but unlocked/locked, in which case breaking and entering.

matthewkevin84

She got in through the main door of my flat, like I say I am not allowed to lock myself inside my abode so obviously she was able to gain entry through my open door.

matthewkevin84

Unlocked closed main door*

matthewkevin84

Nothing has been done to resolve the matter despite myself raising it several times.

I did raise it with the Housing Officer a few weeks ago who works for the Housing Association, she said she told the staff who work at assisted living were I live but they have said nothing to me re the matter.

I thought there would be no harm in seeing if anyone on here could assist me with any suggestions hence me bringing up this matter on this forum.

Cantilip

Sorry, misunderstood 'now allowed to lock'. And sorry again you need to fill me in with a bit of background. If doors can't be locked, what are the normal rules, how are people expected to behave?

Cantilip

matthewkevin84

matthewkevin84

matthewkevin84

For further information my land lord is a Housing Association and I live in supported living so am not allowed to lock myself inside my abode*

matthewkevin84

Camtilip,

Apologies for the grammar/spelling error I made.

Re being unable to lock myself in from the inside I was told that this apparently is the case in the UK with assisted living establishments.

With regards to how are people expected to behave in my establishment? Well I don’t know, like I say the manager of my abode seems to think that tenants going in and out of other tenants abodes is acceptable behaviour because she has done nothing despite knowing full well it has occurred.

Cantilip

Loads of questions and probably babbling, but so other people don't just walk in. You mentioned your social worker. does he visit you? Does he just walk in? This intruder, what did he do, start to chat with you? It obviously isn't acceptable. What would happen if you put a notice on your door - PLEASE KNOCK AND WAIT TO BE ASKED IN.

Apart from those in charge of the place probably getting rather twitched, but I'm sure you have a right to privacy.

matthewkevin84

Yes social worker does visit me every so often and when I informed him of this incident he in a nut shell shrugged it with something along the lines of: “I expect you to talk to her.”

As previously mentioned I apologise for my careless error when I made my 1st post re this incident, now should have been not!

matthewkevin84

Cantilip,

Apologies I haven’t answered all the questions from your last post. I have been at my present abode 2 + years now and the staff have always knocked or rang on my doorbell prior to entering, well apart from literally once or twice not done so in the 2+ years I have been at my present abode!

No my social worker doesn’t just barge in to my abode. occasionally he turns up on the off chance I am in but even then certainly wouldn’t just barge in to my abode!

Re this uninvited woman well it seems that she came in to use my toilet (yes she just walked in) and that appears to be her only motive, luckily if this word is appropriate for this situation nothing seems to be missing!

That is a good idea of yours re having a sign on my door politely asking people to know before entering my abode but I don’t see why I should have to go to the effort of emphasising something that common courtesy should tell people to do.

OverlyAnxious

Did she walk in by accident, thinking it was a different flat? Or was she in urgent need of the facilities? Or was she totally unaware of what was going on due to her own conditions?

I don't really understand why she felt it was ok to just come in but I also don't see what you're expecting the manager or HA to do. All they could do is ask her not to enter other peoples properties uninvited, but they probably have already done that, they wouldn't necessarily tell you that they had.

When I had a relative in supported living I found it very uncomfortable that all the doors were unlocked and people seemed to be coming & going as they pleased. I know it's for everyone's safety but I'd never be able to get comfortable in that type of accommodation myself. Having a sign up just reminds people to always knock, it would still to be to your benefit, even if you don't think it should be required on principle.

matthewkevin84

I don’t know whether she entered my abode for any of the potential reasons that you propose.

I have just sent an email to the Housing Association who said the Housing Officer will follow it up.

You say you don’t know what I expect the Housing Association or the manager of my assisted living to do well as my social worker has emphasised they have a duty of care of me so obviously are obligated to keep me safe possibly even due bound and I think people would agree that fellow tenants entering my abode when I sleep is not keeping me safe.

By the way you say you have a relative who was in supported living and they were also like me re unlocked doors, I was told this was the norm for supported living in the UK at my CTR by a lady, do you know if she was correct that assisted living establishments tenants are not allowed to lock themselves in?

Obviously CCTV would I feel be a good compromise but my establishment have none.

matthewkevin84

Duty bound*

matthewkevin84

In the UK*

Cantilip

As @OverlyAnxious says, I'd hate people able to walk in. If it hasn't happened again then yes, I'd agree something has been said. Now, I'm not excusing this lady but I do have a bladder that can be badly behaved and I can actually imagine in desperation making for the nearest loo, if for instance I misunderstood the accommodation I was in and maybe thought it was communal and also I'm wondering embarrassment and maybe she lacks the verbal skills to say she was terribly sorry and just absolutely desperate and please may I and I promise I shan't make a habit of it!

But if there's anything I've learned from life it's there's no point digging heels in and expecting common courtesy. Some people need nudging. You could actually get a bit creative about the sign on the door: Matthew's Abode - Entry By Invitation Only.

matthewkevin84

Actually I was considering perhaps printing a photo of her (incident caught on camera) and sticking that to the outside of my door.