To present the report of the Head of Housing Services.
Minutes:
The report of the Head of Housing Services setting out a proposal to develop an Extra Care scheme on Council owned land at Tyddyn Mostyn, Menai Bridge was presented for the Committee’s consideration and comment.
The Council Plan has identified the need for an Extra Care scheme in the South of the Island. This scheme will help address this need by providing 40 apartments with the potential to include 15 registered specialist residential care rooms, as well as space to locate a Community Resource Team which includes health and social care staff to serve the south of the Island. This plan would support the achievement of one of the objectives identified within the Corporate Plan, which is to support vulnerable adults and families and keep them safe, healthy and as independent as possible. The scheme would expand the community resource to support independent living opportunities. A site on Council owned land near Tyddyn Mostyn, Menai Bridge has been identified as the best location out of six sites that were considered and were assessed against a set of specific criteria.
The Head of Adults’ Services reported that to date two Extra Care schemes have been developed, the one at Penucheldre, Holyhead and the other at Hafan Cefni, Llangefni. Those developments are continuously appraised and the feedback from the residents has been extremely positive. The Council is keen to develop another such scheme in the south of the Island drawing on the aspects that have worked well in the previous schemes and learning from aspects that could be done differently, and to this end a suitable site in Menai Bridge has been identified. The development if approved, would be Council owned. The Housing Learning and Improvement Network, commissioned by the Welsh Government’s Housing Directorate identifies current provision and future demand up to 2035 for different types of specialist housing/ accommodation for older people on Anglesey and confirms the need for an additional 127 housing with care places by 2035. The proposed scheme will help address this gap especially as the Penucheldre and Hafan Cefni facilities are fully occupied and have a waiting list of potential occupants. These schemes have been successful in allowing individuals to live independently which is in keeping with the mission of the Council’s Strategy for Older People. The proposal has been evaluated for affordability according to the financial model used to assess the financial viability of housing schemes – the initial model shows the scheme to be viable and compliant with the Authority’s guidance on new housing schemes. The Council has secured a Welsh Government HCF fund grant towards the cost of the project and may be able to apply for further grants; the remainder of any costs would then be funded by the Council through the Housing Revenue Account.
In welcoming the scheme which it supported, the Committee sought clarification of who would be responsible for providing the care – the Adults’ Services Manager confirmed that options would be considered and would be agreed as the project is developed.
It was resolved to recommend to the Executive that it approve the development of an Extra Care Scheme on Anglesey County Council land at Tyddyn Mostyn, Menai Bridge.