Southampton City Council: Housing for older people and the benefits for local social care

Southampton City Council is seeking to develop a number of new housing with care schemes across the city and were seeking to secure support from their health partners. They commissioned research to investigate the impact on health care systems.


Introduction

Southampton City Council is seeking to develop a number of new housing with care schemes across the city and were seeking to secure support from their health partners. As a result, the council commissioned research to investigate the impact of housing with care on health care systems and associated evidence of the benefits to the health care system that derive from housing with care.

The intention was to utilise this evidence for broader engagement with the health care systems and to potentially unlock new funding avenues in the development of housing with care services.

The council’s approach

Southampton City Council has recognised a need for more housing with care options for older people, and the benefits this type of housing offers, both in terms of quality of life of its residents, as well as the benefits to the local authority and its partners. This has resulted in a commitment to develop more housing with care in the city in the coming years. This approach supports the council’s other strategies, which seek to reduce the reliance on residential care settings for people with additional needs and to divert the demand towards independent living.

The council was keen to ensure that its housing with care strategy is underpinned by research evidence in relation to the positive impact that housing with care can make on the lives of older people and people with disabilities. While there is body of knowledge available to understand how housing with care supports individuals and the social care systems, there is very little information available to appraise its financial impacts on health care systems.

 

The research covers the following:

  • An evidence review which summarises the identified impact on and potential benefits to the health care system from housing with care services.
  • The financial benefits associated with these identified health care system benefits from the use of housing with care.
  • The estimated financial impact for health care services of the current provision of housing with care in Southampton and the potential growth of housing with care services.

Outcomes

The available evidence indicated that housing with care does have a positive impact on the health care system in terms of providing financial benefits.

The research provided an opportunity for the council to use this evidence to engage with local health services to develop a shared vision for the expansion of housing with care services. A partnership approach to developing housing with care between health, social care and housing is maximising the financial benefits for all partners.

As a result, the council developed Potters Court extra care scheme which opened in Spring 2021. It comprises 83 one and two-bedroom flats for individuals with a range of needs, there is not age-designation for this scheme.

The council is also looking to develop more housing with care, with external partners.