We've adopted a new strategy to improve housing options for adults with care and support needs
Tuesday, 26 April 2022
Following a consultation, we've adopted a new strategy which outlines our vision to improve and provide more accessible homes for working age adults with care and support needs over the next 5 years.
Our Accommodation Strategy For Adults with Care and Support Needs focuses on 18 to 65 year olds with needs that arise from a learning or physical disability, a mental health condition, autism or a combination of these. It aims to transform the life options available to this group by increasing the quality and choice of accommodation available to them.
The strategy is underpinned by 6 key priorities:
- increasing supply of accessible and purpose-built homes by 20% over the next five years
- replacing existing accommodation that is poor quality
- working with the market to foster continual improvement in the quality of accommodation-based care and support services
- increasing capacity for building-based short break units
- making greater use of technologies to support care
- adopting a creative housing model that facilitates progression and independence
The focus of the strategy is to support people living with a disability or long-term condition to reach their full potential, improve their health and wellbeing and to live independent fulfilling lives. It has been developed following a thorough engagement process with people with lived experience of care services and their families, statutory and voluntary organisations, care providers, developers, and our services involved in delivering services. This was followed by a 12-week public consultation.
Following the adoption of the strategy, we'll now develop a market position statement for adults with care and support needs, which will outline the support and care services that people need, and how they will be provided.
Councillor Carole Hegley, Executive Member for Adult Social Care said:
It is important that people in Central Bedfordshire have the choice and control over how they live their lives, while also being able to access to the support they need. We are delighted to be adopting this strategy, which aims to ensure this is possible for residents irrespective of their needs, and we are grateful to everyone who helped us develop it through our engagement sessions and consultation.
Councillor Eugene Ghent, our Executive Member for Housing and Assets said:
Having a care or support need should not be a barrier to living independently, and adopting our strategy is key milestone in ensuring that we are providing more accessible homes, while also improving our existing accommodation.