Future need for extra care

With extra care as a key strategic objective for  West Sussex County Council (WSCC), the ambitions are to significantly increase the number of ECH schemes and available units within the county. It is a further priority to broaden the current service offer to enable more people with different needs to be supported in ECH.

Table 5 below illustrates the supply of ECH required to achieve these objectives based on projected demographic growth and the following ambitions: -

• Older people: Increase the prevalence of ECH from the current levels of approx. 1 unit per 34 people to 1 unit per 18 people
• Lifelong services and learning disability: Increase the % of people currently supported in ECH from approx. 2% to 10%
• Working age mental health: Double the number of people supported in ECH services from 23 currently to 46
• Physical and sensory impairment: Increase the current levels of people supported in ECH by 20%

The ‘Gap in supply’ column identifies the net increase in current provision required to match the projected total demand but does not account for any current schemes that may need re-provision over the coming years. 

Table 5 - No of Extra care units to meet demand and supply analysis

ECH developments, whether new, re-purposed or adapted existing schemes, will need to take account of the following location factors that are critical to the success of future services and the ability to recruit care staff: 

• Access to healthcare facilities
• Access to community facilities
• Access to reliable and frequent public transport

WSCC will work in partnership with district and borough councils, developers and providers to plan and design extra care provision fit to meet future demand, with a variety of models, in the right locations.

WSCC is keen to work with providers who want to develop schemes for adults over 18 requiring care and support. With schemes traditionally focused on adults 55 and over,  there has been a change in culture and criteria for some existing services in West Sussex so that adults under 55 years old with a variety of physical, mental health and lifelong conditions are currently living in ECH. This has been evident in a new development which focuses on all age provision, currently including adults aged between 25 - 106 years and which has been successful in enabling a vibrant community to emerge. We are keen to build on this for the future.

Schemes are normally around 40-60 units of 1 and 2 bedroom apartments in order to ensure financial viability for stakeholders.

WSCC is keen to explore opportunities on suitable land sites for additional adapted properties to be developed, dispersed from the central provision but with people receiving the same level of care and support to those living in a main building. This will provide the opportunity for adults with families to remain living together but receive the care they require in the correct environment. We are keen to work with providers that can provide innovation in the delivery of the buildings and day to day services.

WSCC would like to broaden the ECH model to include:

• Self-contained apartments, across a range of tenures, suitable for people who require care and support to enable them to live independently within the community
• Onsite 24/7 care teams alongside communal facilities for those who live in ECH and within the wider community
• Ability to support more complex care needs including physical health, mental health, lifelong conditions, learning disabilities and dementia
• A wider customer profile including all-age provision and mixes of age groups and needs
• Dementia friendly scheme design.

Overall, we hope to innovate with different models and develop schemes that are assets in the community, enabling people to remain independent of residential care where possible.