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ITEM CA12
CABINET
– 19 JULY 2005
STOWFORD
HOUSE, SHIPPON: HOSTEL FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES
Report by
Director for Social & Health Care and Head of Property
Introduction
- A report was presented
to the Executive on 18 March 2003, outlining the progress that had been
made in moving residents from hostels managed by Oxfordshire County
Council into housing in the community. It was recommended that a step
by step approach was taken in relation to the remaining 16 residents
living at Stowford Hostel, recognising that the final solution was not
clear at that time and depended on the needs and wishes of the remaining
residents, and their families.
- The purpose of
this report is to recommend a proposal for the future of the service
at Stowford House. A map of the present site is attached at Annex
1 (download as .doc file).
Current
Position
- The services provided
at Fettiplace in Marcham transferred to a supported living service in
April 2003 with the properties sold to Oxford Citizens Housing Association
and a service being provided to 7 previous residents by the Social &
Health Care (S&HC) South and Vale Supported Living Service. All
7 residents are tenants and as ordinary residents of their local communities
receive welfare benefits and Supporting People funding.
- Three houses at
the front of the Stowford House site also transferred to supported living
services in April 2003 with the properties sold to Vale Housing Association.
The 9 residents currently receive a supported living service from the
S&HC South and Vale Supported Living Service.
- The Stowford House
main hostel was registered for 23 places but the Commission for Social
Care Inspection (CSCI) reduced this to 6 places in May 2005. In March
2003 there were only 17 people living in the hostel and there are currently
only 5 people living at the hostel. A small number of residents have
died but the remainder have moved into supported living services in
the community supported by the S&HC Supported Living Service. This
process has been one that has evolved as planning has taken place with
each individual and all have moved in a positive way with the support
of their family where appropriate. Of the 5 remaining residents one
person requires a more specialised service and the Learning Disability
Team are actively looking for a nursing home placement. The remaining
4 people are all older people with a learning disability who have lived
in institutional care most of their adult lives. They and their families
when asked have consistently said they would like a service like Stowford
and on the same site as Stowford.
- The demand for
placements in a service like Stowford House Hostel is not evident. People
with a learning disability are increasingly choosing to live in non-institutional
settings and live as part of their communities and the majority of people
with a learning disability can have their needs met in this way. Care
support is provided either by domiciliary care providers or via specialist
learning disability supported living services like the S&HC Supported
Living Service. These developments are being reflected across the rest
of the country and are supported by the Learning Disability Valuing
People Strategy. Oxfordshire is seen as a leading authority in providing
non-institutional types of services to meet the needs of people who
have a learning disability. The current S&HC Commissioning Strategy
has an intention to continue to reduce the number of people living in
residential and nursing care and increase the number of people supported
to live at home. The hostel re-provision programme has substantially
supported this intention and the good performance Oxfordshire is able
to report on the PAF indicators on the number of people with learning
disabilities supported to live at home (C30- currently at 4 "blobs"
out of 5).
- Over the last
two years Stowford has occasionally been used as an emergency placement
facility for people with learning disabilities. These placements have
contravened CSCI regulations. However, additional respite and emergency
facilities have been commissioned during the last year and therefore
Stowford House will not be used in this way in the future.
Consultation
with the Remaining Residents and Friends of Stowford
- The Learning Disability
Team has also provided independent advocacy for residents and families.
This service was provided during the re-provision of the other S&HC
hostel services. The wishes of all the remaining residents and their
families are to continue to receive a similar service to the one provided
by Stowford Hostel and in the same location.
- The Friends of
Stowford have been kept informed of progress on the development of options
for the future of Stowford by S&HC Managers. Although unhappy that
the Stowford service has reduced to 5 people they understand the advantages
of moving to supporting living services. They are supportive of the
current proposals, if Stowford has to close, as long as the existing
remaining residents receive a similar service to the one they are receiving
now. It should be noted that they still believe that Stowford House
could be an asset to Social & Health Care if it could be kept open
to provide a small permanent group home with a semi-segregated respite
care facility.
- Residents of Stowford
and their family members are being kept informed of these proposals
and progress by staff of the Hostel.
Stowford
House Property Issues
- A Feasibility
Study was conducted on Stowford House in March 2003 and at that time
the costs of ensuring that the building was fit for purpose was in the
region of £300,000 at 2003 prices. This covered alterations and refurbishments
to the building to meet the National Care Standards and updating of
many of the basic amenities in the property. The property is not in
a good state of repair and in its current condition, is not a suitable
environment for people with disabilities to be living.
- It is therefore
not viable to continue to provide a service for the 5 people who live
there.
- The clients have
specific property requirements that are difficult to provide for in
a conventional dwelling. It is essential that the group is kept together
and that provision is made for one sleep-in room for staff. Two bungalows
with a link facility will provide for the needs of the clients and will
enable the properties to be separated to provide two dwellings, if need
be, at an appropriate time in the future.
- Stowford House
is situated in the green belt and is within a designated village area
in the first draft of the Local Plan 2011. Current policy on infill
development in village areas suggests that 2 dwellings would be permitted
in the grounds of the hostel. Planning permission will be required for
this development.
Proposal
- To continue to
provide the service Stowford House is not viable. It is recommended
that it is declared surplus and sold. As a condition of the sale, two
bungalows should be provided with nomination rights in favour of supported
living clients of Oxfordshire County Council for a period of 50 years.
- The supported
living service would be provided by the S&HC South and Vale Supported
Living Service. The residents should remain in the hostel until the
new accommodation could be built, in order for them to be involved in
the development of their new home.
Financial
and Staff Implications
- The sale of the
land is anticipated to generate sufficient capital to pay for the construction
of the bungalows if the Hostel is redeveloped for affordable housing
and would generate a higher receipt if the Hostel was used for open
market housing.
- There are currently
no revenue implications for the Council in undertaking the move from
a hostel-based service to supported living services. The gross costs
would increase but the net cost to S&HC would remain the same, as
clients moving into supported living services are able to attract welfare
benefits, housing benefit and where appropriate Independent Living Funds.
It is unlikely that any further Supporting People Funding would be available.
- The costs of running
and maintaining a hostel building would no longer be incurred by the
Council and a small saving of £69,100 would be made here. However, there
would also be a loss of income of £21,000 as clients moved from residential
charging to Community Care Charging Schemes.
- The cost centre
budget for Stowford House and the South and Vale Supported Living Service
for 2005/6 will be £827,600. This provides a service to 24 people living
in supported living and 6 placements at Stowford House. The Average
unit cost for this service is £27,587.
- The new proposed
South and Vale Supported Living Service will provide a service for 29
people (including the current 4 residents of Stowford and one new person)
to live in supported living within the allocated cost centre budget
of £827,600. The average unit cost for the service will then become
£28,538 and the cost of the new service within the bungalows is estimated
to be £142,690.
- The one person
who is being moved to more appropriate residential/nursing care is waiting
for an appropriate funded vacancy to become available so there will
be no additional costs incurred for this person. There may also be a
saving made if the person nominated to take the 5th placement
in the new service is an existing funded client.
- The staff currently
employed in the hostel are already working with people in Supported
Living placements. This transition has been difficult for some staff
but once they have gained skills and confidence, experience has shown
that most prefer to work in Supported Living Services. Staff members
are supportive of the move to supported living.
- The CSCI has recently
inspected all 3 S&HC Supported Living Services. The reports from
all of these inspections have not yet been published but initial feedback
from the CSCI has been very positive.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- The Cabinet
is RECOMMENDED to agree that:
- the
services provided at Stowford House are re-provided in two supported
living bungalows;
- Stowford
House is declared surplus to the Social & Health Care Directorate’s
requirements.
CHARLES
WADDICOR
Director for
Social & Health Care
NEIL
MONAGHAN
Head of Property
Background
papers: Nil
Contact
Officers:
Lorna Brown, Head of Social Care for Adults, Tel 01865 815828
Alan Sinclair, Operations Manager, Social & Health Care Tel 01865
854454
Kathryn Muncey, Project Officer, Resources Tel 01865 810482
July
2005
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