Strawberry Gardens Extra Care Housing in Yatton

Extra care housing is housing designed with the needs of older people in mind and with varying levels of care and support available on site. Residents of extra care housing have their own self-contained homes, their own front doors and a legal right to occupy the property. Extra care housing is not a care home. There is an on-site care provider who will deliver care and support to the residents of the development with a view to enabling clients to remain as independent as possible in their own home. The care provider is also available for any emergency calls required by the clients.

North Somerset Council is committed to offering extra care housing as an alternative to residential care for those people who can no longer manage in their current home due to their care needs. Extra care housing should be a vibrant place to live with activities and facilities available for residents and the local community. Although the care provider is not responsible for this, they will be expected to work closely with the housing provider to achieve this. As part of the Bloor 2 development in Yatton, Housing 21 are building 60, two bed apartments and supporting facilities together with external landscaping and parking areas. North Somerset Council will have nominations to 30 of the 60 apartments. The other 30 will be available for shared ownership.

The council is responsible for commissioning a care provider to work within the extra care housing development. The residents that will be nominated to the council nominated apartments will meet the following eligibility criteria. Applicants must: • be 55 or over; • be eligible to receive care from North Somerset Council; • be eligible for North Somerset Council funding; • have a current application for housing via North Somerset Council's Home Choice Development; • be resident in North Somerset. People with exceptional circumstances may be considered on a case by case basis.

Shared ownership residents may or may not have care and support needs. If they do, they will be encouraged to use the onsite care provider to meet these needs. If the resident of a shared ownership apartment is eligible for council funding, their care and support will fall under this contract.

It is anticipated that there will be approximately 375 hours per week care provision and 15 hours per week housing related support to council nominated apartments. The council will only fund actual planned care provided and 15 hours per week housing related support. Planned care could be at any time within 24 hours i.e. during the day and overnight.

24-hour emergency cover for the whole development will be funded via a weekly payment of £23, made by every apartment in the development, directly to the care Provider. 24-hour emergency cover is one member of staff to attend emergencies and unforeseen fluctuations in someone's care needs between the hours of 10pm and 7am and potentially between 2pm and 5pm.