Report Title: Housing with Extra Care in Middlesbrough Update on Current Position

Housingwithextracaremiddlesbrough22.11.05

REPORT TITLE: HOUSING WITH EXTRA CARE IN MIDDLESBROUGH – UPDATE ON CURRENT POSITION

BRENDA THOMPSON EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR SOCIAL CARE AND HEALTH

JAN DOUGLAS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Date 22 NOVEMBER 2005

PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

1.To update Executive on the current position with Extra Care Housing and to seek approval to explore options within agreed principles.

BACKGROUND AND EXTERNAL CONSULTATION

2.On 3rd February 2004 an Older People’s Change Programme report was presented to the Executive. This report proposed a fundamental shift from the direct provision of residential care by the Local Authority to a model that supports the promotion of independence of older people, through partnership arrangements, to provide housing with extra care.

3.Executive approval was given to seek tenders from registered social landlords (RSL’s) to work in partnership to develop an extra care housing scheme on the Robert Huggins site. The residential care home on this site was demolished in June 2003 and Housing 21 was the RSL selected to develop the scheme.

4.Also in 2003, the Levick Trustees decided to re-provide services on the Levick site as extra care housing. Levick House has been used to provide residential care for the Council for some 30 years. Whilst the site is the property of the Trust the care is provided by Social Care staff. Levick House will not meet minimum care building standards by April 2007, which is the deadline for homes to achieve certain requirements. Significant capital would be required to do so. Hanover Housing was the registered social landlord selected to develop this scheme.

5.In November 2003, Tees Valley Housing, supported by Middlesbrough Council Housing Department, put a bid to the Housing Corporation to develop extra care housing on the Trinity Crescent site, North Ormesby. This bid, for £3.1 million, was approved in January 2004. The report to Executive on 3rd February identified this scheme as part of the required Extra Care Housing capacity for Middlesbrough.

6.It was originally intended that the 3 extra care housing schemes would be developed and be operational by April 2007. It was also intended that the remaining residential care homes, Albert Cocks and Netherfields House will close by this date. Executive gave approval for these closures in February 2004.

7.With regard to the Robert Huggins site Middlesbrough Council selected Housing 21 on the basis that the scheme could be built without public subsidy if necessary, although grant funding to the tune of £1.8 million from the Department of Health through a bidding process was preferred. A bid was submitted to the Department of Health Extra Care Housing fund on 29th of October 2004.

8.In November 2004 the Executive received a report on the redevelopment of Robert Huggins and endorsed the recommendation that a mixed tenure scheme be progressed if the Department of Health bid was unsuccessful. This scheme would include a mix of units for rental, part ownership and full ownership on a leasehold basis.

9.Hanover Housing Association working with the Levick Trustees also submitted a bid to the Department of Health at the same time as Housing 21. In February 2005 both organisations were notified that their bids had been unsuccessful.

10.On 13 April 2005 representatives from Hanover, the Levick Trustees and Middlesbrough Council visited the Charities Commission in Liverpool to obtain consent to develop the Levick site on a mixed tenure basis. This was granted on the basis that all parties had something to gain from the arrangement but more importantly it offered protection for the Levick Trust.

11.From February 2005 to the present date, regular meetings have been held with both RSL’s in an attempt to progress the schemes at Robert Huggins and Levick House sites. It was anticipated that both schemes would begin development on the sites by October. As a result, Social Care Top Management Team took a decision to keep Netherfields House open to enable all Levick House residents and staff to move “en masse” causing minimum disruption. Netherfields was used to accommodate the Intermediate Care Service until late August 2005 while the former Parklands Home was completely redeveloped. The Commission for Social Care Inspection have agreed to the use of Netherfields on condition that some redecoration and minor works are undertaken and that it will close in April 2007.

12.In September 2005, Housing 21 advised Social Care representatives that in their view a mixed tenure scheme funded by themselves would not be feasible as a result of challenges that had arisen over the previous six months namely:

Increased building costs
Market rents in excess of £80 per week are unsustainable (£90 was proposed)
Lower market values than initially anticipated making 1 bedroom apartments difficult to sell
Risk of retirement housing saturation if the Levick and Robert Huggins schemes are on the market at the same time
Mixed tenure developments not proving popular and difficulties being encountered in day to day management with leaseholders and tenants

13.In September 2005, Hanover Housing also prepared a report for the Levick Trustees outlining the same issues as those raised by Housing 21.

14.In October 2005, both Hanover and Housing 21 prepared bids for Housing Corporation funding as they are both committed to developing extra care housing in Middlesbrough. However, the outcome of these bids will now not be known until February 2006.

15.With regard to the Trinity Crescent site, the final plans are to be submitted for approval by Tees Valley Housing at the end of October 2005. This is currently the only site that has sufficient funding to go ahead. All units in this scheme will be for rent.

16.During the year, consultation with former Robert Huggins residents, the local residents and Brookfield Community Council has taken place on a regular basis to keep people aware of the situation as it has developed. The latest position will not be met favourably as there was an expectation that building work would commence in October.

17.Housing 21 and Hanover Housing Association have recently been having talks about a possible merger. An options appraisal will be undertaken before the end of 2005 to assess the advantages and disadvantages of such a merger. Should the merger take place, it may be possible to proceed with both schemes, even if only one gets the Housing Corporation fund to develop.

18.In terms of care services for the Housing with Extra Care schemes, the original intention was for Middlesbrough Council to provide the staff. Both Levick House and Albert Cocks staff were expecting to transfer to the new schemes, by April 2007. This is the deadline, as identified in paragraph 6, which has been set by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) for residential care homes to achieve certain minimum buildings standards. It is quite certain now that no extra care schemes will be completed by this date as an 18 months period has been identified for such projects from starting on a site to completion. It is uncertain at this stage if CSCI will extend the deadline beyond this date.

OPTION APPRAISAL/RISK ASSESSMENT

19.It is too early to undertake a full options appraisal/risk assessment as the outcome of the Housing Corporation bids will not be known until February 2006. This will clearly inform the options available for the future. The Housing with Extra Care Schemes are however seen as the way forward in meeting the future needs of Middlesbrough’s older residents who have care needs as opposed to more traditional residential care.

FINANCIAL, LEGAL AND WARD IMPLICATIONS

20.Financial – At this stage the financial implications are not known but further work is necessary to understand what these will be in terms of current resource use and future resource needs.

21.Ward Implications – The current and future situations will impact upon all Wards indirectly. The Robert Huggins site is currently having a direct impact upon the residents in Brookfield.

22.Legal Implications – Legally, Housing 21 do not have a formal agreement with the Council to develop the scheme although it has been intended to develop such once funding for the scheme had been secured.

SCRUTINY CONSULTATION –

23.Not applicable.

RECOMMENDATIONS

24.It is recommended that the Executive continue to support the development of extra care housing schemes in Middlesbrough.

25.It is recommended that Executive approval is given to explore the options available to the Council in the light of the current situation in order to proceed with developing Housing with Extra Care Schemes and the closure of both Albert Cocks and Netherfields House. The options should be based upon some underlying principles. These are: timeliness; affordability; choice for service users; population needs; future fit; best value and partnership working.

REASONS

26.To ensure that the Council achieves the desired outcome for the future in terms of developing Housing with Extra Care Schemes in Middlesbrough.

27.To develop proposals for the timely closures of Albert Cocks and Netherfields House.

BACKGROUND PAPERS

The following background papers were used in the preparation of this report:

Executive Report – 3 February 2004 “Older Peoples’ Change Programme

Executive Report – 25 November 2004 “Redevelopment of Robert Huggins”

AUTHOR: Phil Dyson

TEL NO: 01642 729035

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Address:

Website:

Housingwithextracaremiddlesbrough22.11.05