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Dudley Council commissioned Housing Lin to undertake two separate assessments of housing with care needs, one related to adults with disabilities and the second in relation to older adults. In completing the assessment and analysis, Housing Lin engaged with people and held virtual and face to face engagement / focus groups to gather views, experiences and expectations from people who access services currently or who may in the future have a need for housing with care.

As part of the assessment current provision mapping, benchmarking and projections and estimation of demand were concluded.

The below provides some key initial headlines from the draft reports. The reports will be published on the council website once finalised.

Adults with Mental Health Needs

Accommodation Status: People with Mental Health Needs

Accommodation Number
Mainstream Housing 168
Supported Living (self-contained) 39
Residential 13
Nursing Care 14
  • The number of adults aged 18+ with a mental health need eligible for a service from the Council is 234 individuals (2021/22), according to SALT data
  • 27 people are living in residential and/or nursing care, 12% of the total population
  • 39 people are living in supported housing/supported living, c.16% of the population
  • The remainder are living in mainstream housing with a care/support package

Demand and Projections

Mental Health Bed Based Accommodation Trajectory

 

Line graph showing the future predicted mental health bed-based accommodation trajectory from 2021 to 2031/32. There are two lines on the graph. One represents Residential care and the other represents Nursing Care. Residential Care starts at 6% in 2021 and declines to 4% in 2025/26, finishing at 3% in 2031/32. Nursing Care starts at 6% in 2021 and declines to 5% in 2025/26, finishing at 5% in 2031/32

Mental Health Community Accommodation Trajectory

Line graph showing the future predicted mental health accommodation trajectory from 2021 to 2031/32. There are two lines on the graph. One represents Mainstream Housing and the other represents Supported Housing. Mainstream Housing starts at 72% in 2021 and declines to 67% in 2025/26, finishing at 63% in 2031/32. Supported Housing starts at 17% in 2021 and increases to 23% in 2025/26, finishing at 29% in 2031/32

There is an estimated net need of c.30 units of additional supported accommodation for people with a mental health need living in Dudley, to 2031/32.

Adults with Learning Disabilities and/or Autism

Accommodation Status: People with Learning Disability and Autism

Living with Family/Friends/Informal Carers (SALT) 650
Supported Housing/Supported Living (SALT) 235
Residential Care (SALT) 126
Mainstream Housing with a Care/Support Package 56
Shared Lives (Adult Placement SALT) 47
Nursing Care (SALT) 9
In Hospital/NHS Setting (Dudley Council) 5

The number of adults aged 18+ with learning disability/autism in Dudley was 1,125 individuals (2021/22), according to SALT data.

Dudley West Midlands England
Use of Residential Care 11% 21% 17%

Demand and Projections

Disabilities Bed Based Care Trajectory

Line graph showing Disabilities Bed Based Care Trajectory from 2021 to 2031/32. There are two lines on the graph. One represents Residential Care (SALT) and the other represents Nursing Care (SALT). Residential Care (SALT) begins at 11% in 2021 and declines to 9% in 2025/26, finishing at 6% in 2031/32. Nursing Care (SALT) begins at 1% in 2021 and remains constant at 1% in 2025/26 and 2031/32

Disabilities Community Based Care Trajectory

Line graph showing Disabilities Community Based Care Trajectory. There are three lines on the graph. One represents Living with Family/Friends, one represents Supported Living and the third represents Mainstream Housing with Care/Support. Living with Family/ Friends starts at 58% in 2021 and declines to 51% in 2025/26, finishing at 45% in 2031/32. Supported Living starts at 21% in 2021 and increases to 28% in 2025/26, finishing at 34% in 2031/32. Mainstream Housing with Care/Support starts at 5% in 2021 and increases to 6% in 2025/26, finishing at 8% in 2031/32

  • An additional c.180 units of supported accommodation are estimated to be needed by 2031/32 for people with a learning disability/autistic people. It is anticipated that up to 20 of these additional units of accommodation could be within Shared Lives and the rest self-contained accommodation that is tenancy based

Housing with Care and Housing for Older Adults

Percentage change in the 55+, 65+ and 75+ population for Dudley to 2038

Age Cohort 2028 2033 2038
55+ 5.2% 6.2% 9.0%
65+ 5.8% 13.9% 20.5%
75+ 6.2% 9.5% 17.2%

Source: ONS 2021 census and ONS 2018-based subnational population projections.

Local Authority Residential Care (beds) Prevalence Nursing Care (beds) Prevalence
Dudley 1,849 54 532 16
CIPFA Comparator average 1,030 44 877 38
England total 209,154 38 216,227 40
  • Significantly higher proportion of people placed in residential care than England average and CIPFA comparators
  • Significantly fewer people placed in Nursing care than England Average and CIPFA comparators

Demand and Projections

Housing and accommodation for older people, net estimated need to 2038, in Dudley. The below table identifies the likely demand and additionality assumed based on population growth and increasing complexity of need.

Housing type and use class Number of homes/bedspaces needed by 2038
Housing for older people (retirement and contemporary 'sheltered housing'). Use class C3 c.680 homes: c.280 for social/affordable rent c.400 for sale/shared ownership
Housing with care (extra care housing). Use class C3/C2 c.675 homes: c.405 for social affordable rent c.270 for sale/shared ownership
Residential care. Use class C2 c.110 bedspaces
Nursing care. Use class C2 c.310 bedspaces

Headlines from Housing Assessments completed by Housing Lin

Overall analysis showed that there is a relatively high percentage of shared supported housing that has sustainability risks and where accommodation is generally not well suited to individual or changing need.

There is limited accommodation for young people transitioning to adulthood where they have complex needs.

There is a small but increasing cohort of people with "complex" and or forensic needs where more bespoke accommodation is required.

There has been an over-reliance on out of area residential schools for young people with complex needs.

There is a need to manage "speculative" approaches to supported housing development by providers.

The most recent CQC guidance in relation to supported living, Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, sets out more clearly than in any previous CQC guidance what the specific expectations are of care providers both in terms of registration of supported living services and inspection.

The council intends to publish an “investment prospectus” to attract appropriate investment in supported housing.

Key messages from local people and their supporters collated in engagement sessions includes:

  • People with learning disabilities and/or autistic people are seeking a wider range of housing choices
  • Young people with a learning disability and/or autistic young people are seeking supported housing that enables them to transition into adulthood
  • There is a need for an increased range of tenure options – e.g. shared ownership
  • Housing application and allocation processes need to be more learning disability and autism friendly
  • For people with more complex mental health needs, there is a need for more self-contained supported living accommodation
  • There is a need for access to and increased provision of ‘move-on’ accommodation. There is evidence that there are people with mental health needs living in supported housing that don’t need to be there
  • People with a range of mental health needs report that the existing process for finding alternative accommodation, whether in the private rented sector or through choice-based lettings, is often very challenging which can cause further anxiety and stress
  • There is a need for supported accommodation for people with acquired brain injury
  • Older people want to remain living in their own homes for as long as possible
  • Older people are seeking housing options that enable them to live independently for as long as possible
  • Some older people are interested in and willing to "right size/downsize" provided that an alternative home is sufficiently attractive and meets their requirements

Messages for the Market

  • We want people to have the opportunity to live in their own self-contained homes with their own front door to maximise their self-determination and outcomes
  • We will support people where appropriate in shared housing where this is sustainable and the best option to meet their aspirations and outcomes
  • We want to increase the provision of extra care to meet changing needs, expectations and demand
  • We want to explore new sheltered housing models that support people with health and social care needs
  • We want to explore different models of housing with care for people aged 18+ with complex needs
  • We want to explore different models of housing with care for people with learning disabilities and or autism who are aging and require accommodation and support that is flexible to meet changing need – for example specialist extra care housing
  • We want to work with not-for-profit housing associations and registered Providers to deliver new accommodation options and schemes to meet our growing demand

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