Plans unveiled to convert Northampton care home into 16 'specialist' supported living apartments for vulnerable adults

Plans have been unveiled to convert a care home in Northampton into 16 ‘specialist’ supported living apartments for disabled and vulnerable adults.

Proposals have been submitted to West Northamptonshire Council to convert the 29-bed St Andrew's care home into a supported living site.

The applicant, SSL CO 1 Ltd, said in planning papers: "The [proposed] accommodation includes one-bedroom, self-contained apartments which would be adaptive for occupancy by residents with learning and physical needs.

"The scheme will be supported by and maintained by a registered care provider (on the same basis as a provider of affordable homes).

"The scheme is designed to cater for many differing cohorts, but all will require some level of support."

According to plans, the accommodation, which would be staffed 24 hours a day, would see clients receive support to ensure the development will:

- Improve outcomes for clients with learning disability and mental health support needs

- Enable adults to live independently

- Reduce the need for out of are placements though providing support to people in their local community, near to friends/family and other local support networks

- Enable tenancy sustainment by providing support to individuals who otherwise maybe unable to sustain tenancies more independently

- Create employment opportunities for local people

Planning papers say: "In preparation of this scheme we have worked in full collaboration with the local authority, adult social care commissioning scheme and NHS partners to understand there is a need for this development.

"The opportunity for this scheme to convert an existing property to provide housing for disabled and vulnerable adults to allow them to live independently with specialist supported living apartments should be considered and associated discussions opened to allow for a positive outcome for all parties."

Northamptonshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) voiced its concerns with the proposals.

A Northamptonshire CCG spokeswoman said: "The CCG can confirm there will not be sufficient capacity in the local primary healthcare system to absorb the anticipated increase in demand created by the proposed new housing development of 16 specialist supported living apartments.

"Practices in the local area are already at the limit of their capacity and the increase in population could push practices to the point that they are no longer able to accept new patients. If this were to be the case it could result in the population brought to the area by the new housing development experiencing difficulties accessing primary care health services.

"Therefore the CCG and NHSE & I are seeking a financial contribution towards infrastructure support to ensure the new population has access to good quality primary health care services."

The financial contribution the CCG has requested from the developer is £8,134.47.