Sheltered housing in Tendring will be used to support patients leaving hospital; helping to relieve some of the pressure on health services in North Essex.
The initiative, funded by Essex County Council (ECC), will see otherwise-empty Tendring District Council (TDC) sheltered accommodation use to temporarily home people coming out of hospital care.
It will help to reduce pressure on adult social care and hospital wards by providing accommodation for patients who are medically cleared for discharge but who cannot return home for other reasons.
This could include unsuitability of their home, such as being on the first floor or due to issues with disrepair, and the 12-week period allows time for those issues to be resolved.
The three-year agreement, made by TDC’s Cabinet today (Friday, 7 October), follows a one-year pilot scheme – funded by the North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance – which saw four flats used as temporary accommodation by ECC for up to 12 weeks by 16 people.
Paul Honeywood, TDC Cabinet Member for Housing, said this scheme benefited everyone.
“This initiative puts our empty properties to good use and guarantees us an income, helps relieve pressure on our hospitals and social care services; and, most importantly, will improve the lives of people who go through it as they can have their own space and not go into residential care,” Councillor Honeywood said.
“It is also more effective use of public funds, with the pilot saving Essex County Council an estimated £39,570, helping tax payers’ money go further and support more people.”
Councillor John Spence, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, said: “The financial saving is welcome, but far more important is the extra capacity this will add to the system and, therefore, the greater opportunity for people to have a pathway back to independent living in their own home.”
Examples of people helped in the pilot are an amputee who used the temporary accommodation while adaptations were made to their own home, and another who did not have a secure tenancy and could not return to their previous home after a hospital stay.
The pilot also reported that patients were less dependent on other support services, reported increased levels of confidence and greater engagement in their community.
Following the decision by Cabinet today, a further two sheltered flats in Weeley will be used – bringing the total to six.
Director of North East Essex Health and Care Alliance, Laura Taylor Green, welcomed the initiative. She said: “This time of the year is always an extremely busy time for our frontline health and care services – so this extra capacity is a welcome move.
“Our system is committed to ensuring local people have access to high standards of care. Using surplus accommodation will help create much needed bed space within our local hospitals which will ultimately improve the experience for patients and their families.”
There is an option to extend the scheme in both duration and the number of flats used.