The City of Wolverhampton Council is working with a wide range of organisations to increase the range of accommodation available to people who are currently in residential care but who want to live more independently through its Supporting Life Choices programme, with dozens of properties either now completed and occupied or in the pipeline.
The new homes include 24 hour supported living schemes, where people are able to live in their own flat or home with the appropriate level of support; Shared Care, where a group of people with disabilities live together and share their accommodation and support; and bespoke accommodation supporting very specialist requirements.
Councillor Sandra Samuels OBE, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Adult Services, said: "As a council, we are committed to supporting adults with learning and physical disabilities or mental health needs to live as independently as possible within their own home or in another supported environment.
"We announced in 2016 that we were looking to develop a range of new additional services to increase the choice available through our Supporting Life choices programme, and I am delighted that we have created 100 new homes since them - and that there are even more in the pipeline.
"Too many people with disabilities or mental health needs still live in traditional-style residential care. We know that if they are given the chance to live more independently, they can become part of their local community, achieve more and, most importantly of all, enjoy a better quality of life.
"Supported living gives individuals more choice about how they live their lives, a bigger say over who plays a part in their lives, more control over their own finances and greater rights to stay in their home."
Among the new homes are up to 36, 1 and 2 bedroom flats as part of the Sunbeam development and 14, 1 bedroom apartments for people with more complex disabilities at Carlton Gardens, with both schemes offering 24 hour support from specialist providers.
Woodhayes Place in Wednesfield, which was developed by Bromford Living and opened in November 2017, has 14, 1 bedroom flats providing supported accommodation for people with mental health needs, while 4 people are sharing an adapted property on Swan Bank in Penn, benefitting from 24 hour support.
A development at Barnard Road, offering 16 apartments and 24 hour support for people with complex learning disabilities, is due to be completed in the near future, while supported accommodation for people with mental health needs will be offered as part of the regeneration of the former Tap Works site in Low Hill which is due to be completed later this year.
Six flats for people with autism and complex needs will be created during the regeneration of the sites managed by Springfield Horseshoe Housing Management Cooperative in 2019.
Councillor Samuels added: "Our aim is to develop an even greater range of accommodation in the future, and we are working closely with Wolverhampton Homes to improve our housing offer.
"This will mean we can give even more adults and young people with learning or physical disabilities, many of whom currently live in residential or nursing homes in the City or elsewhere, the chance to move into their own homes in Wolverhampton if independent living is suitable for them."
- released: Friday 19 January, 2018