MANOP's impact in the community
Building community
Our development scheme in Flitwick is designed to create a welcoming and vibrant community, that brings a sense of friendship and wellbeing for residents and visitors alike and when complete in 2024 will provide a great place to live and work for many years ahead.
Re-purposing former care homes
Our former care homes are assessed for alternative use, for example by the our Housing Service. Re-purposing The Birches Care Home to provide transitional accommodation for people experiencing homelessness reduces the need to accommodate people in expensive and inappropriate B&B accommodation and enables us to better support people navigating a path to ordinary living.
High quality care homes for local people
Our decision to invest in market leading care home provision demonstrates a long-term commitment to securing good access to care home places for both customers who are funded by the council and self-funders. In particular, the increasing number of residents with more complex care and support needs will benefit for the short, medium and longer term.
Building relationships
Our strategy has enabled partnership working, especially with Housing Associations, to develop high quality Independent Living Schemes for older people. For example, we successfully influenced Aldwyck Housing and Grand Union Housing Group to invest in Greenfields in Leighton Buzzard (now operated by Peabody Trust) and Chamomile Gardens in Biggleswade. These schemes offer the usual advantages of independent living, including an onsite food offer, 24/7 care and support in a community environment.
Future-proof construction
The MANOP Programme is actively supporting delivery of the Council Sustainability Plan by investing in Passivhaus design at our development projects in Leighton Buzzard and Flitwick. These landmark Passivhaus developments provide for super energy-efficient buildings, important for stepping down energy use and emissions in response to climate change priorities.
The Senior Living Village in Flitwick is designed to reduce energy use for heating by 90%. This is a significant benefit for the service, residents and an exemplar in how we design for the shift to a low carbon economy. Of equal importance is the comfort afforded to residents from Passivhaus design – no draughts, no cold or hot spots and much improved indoor air quality – making for an environment attuned to optimise the health and well-being of residents, staff and visitors.
Prevention and wellbeing
We recognise that care homes can be isolated from the community. It is well established that reducing social isolation and helping people to lead active lives later in life reduces the need for complex and costly health and care interventions in primary, secondary and acute health care settings care.
For example, rhe Senior Living Village in Flitwick co-locates a care home and Independent Living Scheme with centrally located community facilities inviting public engagement.
Ruth’s story
I moved into Priory View six years ago and I feel it has made a wonderful impact to my life. Before moving into Priory View, I felt lonely. I had lost my husband and best friend and did not want to do any socialising. After moving into Priory View I still lacked confidence and was isolating myself in my apartment. With the support of independent living staff and family, I slowly began mixing with residents at Priory View. Now I get involved in the Priory View activities, events and meet my friends for breakfast and lunch down at the restaurant. I am happy here and Priory View has really made such a difference to my life.
Freeing up housing stock
Each independent living scheme has led to general needs housing becoming available as family sized accommodation is freed-up when residents choose to ‘right size’.