Newsroom

New supported living homes in the heart of the community

Twenty-three new apartments have been officially opened, to provide fixed-term accommodation for people in Nottinghamshire.

Purpose-built to offer supported living, these brand-new flats are the result of joint working between Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA) and Nottinghamshire County Council. The fully furnished homes will be rented out to people who need a bit of extra help to live independently and offer them the time and space to learn essential life skills before moving on.

Commissioned by the county council and delivered by NCHA’s care and support team, two separate support projects will run from the new development.

Branching Out South, an extension to the existing young person’s service in the north of the county, will let ten flats to young people 16-21 years old who are at risk of, or experiencing homelessness. The new residents will get dedicated support to learn how to run a home, plan their finances and prepare themselves for independent accommodation.

The other thirteen flats will offer short-term accommodation for NCHA’s new Stepping Stones project. The service for adults living with a learning disability, mental health condition, physical disability or autism will offer a home with support for up to six months. It will provide a vital ‘stepping-stone’ for people coming out of a more supported setting, such as hospital, or moving on from receiving care from immediate family. The new project will work with them to build their confidence and learn essential life skills; to prepare them for independent accommodation.

Out-of-hours emergency support will be offered to all 23 flats by NCHA’s Customer Wellbeing team.

Standing proud in the heart of Carlton, on the site of the former Earl of Chesterfield pub, the new flats signal not only a new lease of life for the piece of land but will also offer vital support to people in need.

Councillor Matt Barney, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health at Nottinghamshire County Council said:

“These new flats will offer supported accommodation for some of the vulnerable people we work with, such as young people moving on from care or facing homelessness, and people with autism, a mental health issue or learning or physical disability. The support on offer will help the residents to regain the skills they need or learn new ones, to help them take the next steps to live fulfilling and independent lives within their local community”

The building and self-contained flats have been designed for purpose, to best suit the people that will be living and receiving support there. Gemma DeBrito, Assistant Director of Homes and Wellbeing for NCHA explains:

“Sensitively designed, trauma-informed spaces impact our wellbeing. Creating beautiful spaces bring about positive benefits to not only the people that live in care and support services, but also those who work in them. The design of Earls Court has been created in such a way, that the very landscape of the building will contribute towards improving the positive outcomes of the people who will live there.”

At a celebration event on 6 July, representatives from NCHA and Nottinghamshire County Council invited involved agencies, local residents and businesses, to take a tour of the flats and learn more about the support services.

Designed and developed by NCHA’s in-house team Pelham, and built by contractors MyPad, the development cost in the region of £3.5 million and was joint funded by Homes England and NCHA. NCHA is in a Strategic Partnership with Homes England, enabling them to deliver new, affordable homes across the East Midlands and East of England.

  Press release issued by Nottingham Community Housing Association.