Scottish Borders Council

Agenda item

Berwickshire Locality Plan - Health & Social Care

Presentation on Extra Care Housing, Trust Housing Association & Berwickshire Locality Co-ordinators (Older Adults) - followed by table discussion.

Minutes:

7.1     The Chairman welcomed Jenny Wallace and Amanda Christie from Trust Housing Association, to talk about their Extra Care Housing provision in Duns.  Ms Christie advised that the Extra Care Development for Duns was a priority in Trust Housing’s operational plan for the next year.  Whilst the build was progressing well they were working to identify suitable residents and working to ensure there was a well skilled local workforce.  There was a selection of information available at the meeting, including newsletters, guidance on support, independent research and case studies along with the statistics on the Trust and performance.  Trust Housing was a national organisation established in 1973 and had 3,600 homes and around 600 staff.  It was a housing, care and support provider, predominately for older people.  Ms Christie advised that within the Borders the Trust had an extra care housing facility in Galashiels and a sheltered development in Chirnside, with the new development in Duns due to be completed in September 2020.  It was hoped that the facility in Duns was not just a resource for Duns but a hub for the whole community.  There were architects plans at the meeting for the new development in Duns which showed the physical use of the building, parking and garden space.  In essence, extra care housing brought together a landlord service, housing service and personal care in the one development.  By combining this range of services through a dedicated, locally based trained staff team, benefits were felt by the people supported and there were economies of scale to each service area.  The Trust had 10 extra care housing developments across Scotland and feedback from tenants showed they particularly liked the meal service; a lot of the social activities within the development and in the local community; and they liked their own space.  Feedback from the Commissioners showed they liked the flexibility and the ability to respond especially with those who had high care needs; and that people could come out of hospital more quickly.  The users of the service benefitted from a seamless and more flexible care and support service provided in a holistic and person-centred manner. 

 

7.2     Ms Wallace then spoke about the Todlaw project, with the Trust starting work with SBC 2½ years previously as part of the Strategic Housing Plan.  The development would have 30 flats with a Hub and be surrounded by 19 amenity cottages.  There would be a mix of 1 and 2 bedroom properties.  Design guides were used to meet visual and early stage dementia issues.  Staff in the Hub would provide services to those in the flats/cottages and meals would be available in the Hub.  The development would also be available to the whole community as a complement to other services in the area.  The Trust was already working with the local Social Work team as well as other providers so in terms of recruitment the Trust would not take over their work e.g. overnight service.  They could also buddy up to react to an emergency situation.  Within the development there was a large lounge and dining space which was open to others, with lots of programmes of activities (such as film nights, social events, craft sessions, exercise).  The facilities could be used by other community groups, as long as tenants were able to join in.  Within the development there were assisted bathrooms so if people from the community who could only use a shower at home, could come in and have a bath.  There was also a hairdressing facility.  It was a case of trying to make the best use of the physical resources within the development and partner with the other providers in the area.  A lot of thought had gone in to the building but also the garden.  Once the site was safe, an open day would be held for local people.  Staff worked in partnership with other local providers in the delivery of services to the community and shared resources to provide a flexible approach to service delivery, employment and training opportunities, as well as making best use of local resources.  In response to a question on how tenants would be chosen, referrals came through SBC and NHS and a panel would assess and prioritise those who required access to the facilities.  There would be a mix of tenants from the community; from those who needed little assistance, to those who may have quite complex needs.  Although the development was a housing offering, with a Scottish Secure tenancy, it also provided a lot of resource in support and care through social work.  The final allocation of a tenancy rested with the Trust as landlord.  With regard to inter-generational opportunities, there was good experience elsewhere such as North Lanarkshire where some of the 6th year pupils had come into the facility in their free periods to train residents in social media skills.  This had also happened in Galashiels but had then grown into something else and the young people continued to visit residents.  

           

7.3     The Community Capacity Building Worker, Juliana Amaral gave a presentation on the work of the Berwickshire Locality Services (Older Adults).  This preventative service supported people to connect with their communities and build better lives.  The service encouraged and enabled individuals to build their confidence and increase social connections by establishing and maintaining links within their local communities.  This was carried out by: thinking about what mattered to the individual; increased social connections; links to community opportunities; build confidence and resilience; help people manage their health condition; help people to become active members of the community through participation in walking football, a gentle exercise class, Soup Club, Men’s Shed, and Happy Friday Group, Chirnside.  The Shared Support was a partnership initiative between LAC Older Adults, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, Trust Housing and Berwickshire Wheels.  It was emphasised that this service could not function without Berwickshire Wheels.  During the presentation, videos were included showing the activities of the group along with the outcomes from individuals, their families and carers.  The benefits of the services offered included: improved health and wellbeing; fewer hospital admissions and GP visits; better quality of life; improved confidence and independence; improved community links and social interactions; positive use of community assets and resources; and an increased level of people engaging and volunteering.  Ms Amaral advised that they were looking to start another group in Eyemouth in April and would be happy to look at Duns with the Trust LAC team that covered all the Borders.

 

 

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