Agenda item

Having considered an officer report, and presentations by two relatives of

Somerville residents, a representative of Healthwatch and the Cabinet

member for Health, Well Being & Older People, Councillor Chris Best, the

Mayor agreed that:

(1) the information about the process that has been carried out to date, and in

particular the physical conditions and shortcomings of the two schemes, the

existing cost of the two schemes, and the details of the consultation process

that has been carried out with tenants and their families, be noted;

(2) the comments made during the formal Adult Social Care consultation

which had taken place in line with the recommendation from the 25 June 2014

report on the Council’s in-house extra care service at Somerville and Kenton

Court be noted;

(3) the comments made by secure tenants in response to the statutory

consultation undertaken pursuant to Section 105 of the Housing Act 1985 in

relation to the proposals be noted;

(4) consultation taken place with staff from the in-house extra care

service in line with the recommendation from the 25th June 2014 report on the

Council’s in-house extra care service at Somerville and Kenton Court be

noted;

(5) Having considered the comments made for the three consultations, the

Council-managed extra care service at Kenton Court and Somerville

should be closed;

(6) the building at Kenton Court should be closed for its current use and

proposals for the Council to develop alternative general needs housing at the

site be further developed;

(7) the building at Somerville should be closed for its current use and

proposals for the Council to develop alternative general needs housing at the

site be further developed;

(8) officers should present plans for re-development of the two sites, as part

of future phases of the New Homes, Better Places Programme, to the Mayor

for approval at the earliest opportunity;

(9) officers should continue to discuss with existing tenants options for other

services that would meet their needs and put in place individual and

personcentred plans for services which will meet those needs; and

(10) as part of this process, in due course and as a last resort, Notice of

Seeking Possession be served under Ground 10 of Schedule 2 to the

Housing Act 1985 and possession proceedings brought against any remaining

tenants at Kenton Court and Somerville in order to protect the Council’s

interest and potentially to safeguard vulnerable residents.

The report was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Health, Well Being &

Older People, Councillor Chris Best and officers from both the Community

Services Directorate and the Customer Services Directorate.

The Mayor was then addressed by Chris Tolson, the sister of a Somerville

resident who criticised the consultation process with residents which she

regarded as very poor. She said the staffing support in alternative sites was

inferior for the very vulnerable affected residents and she called for

modifications to be made to expand the Somerville site and provide modern

amenities.

She was supported by Mrs Rowley who said the proposals had been badly

planned and poorly executed and failed to fully consider the needs of some

very vulnerable people.

Jade Fairfax of Healthwatch Lewisham added that their findings suggested

that some of the affected residents did not feel properly supported by the

Council.

In response, Councillor Best acknowledged to the Mayor that processes could

be improved and that learning points for the future had emerged. She made

reference to the comments of the Housing Select Committee which had been

tabled and pointed out a revised equalities impact assessment had also been

completed. Councillor Best explained the range of opportunities which would

be available to the residents and said full engagement with the eight residents

who had not yet agreed a transfer would follow once the Mayor had given his

approval.

The Mayor received clarification from officers about staffing levels in

alternative facilities and on the facilities that would become available to

residents. The Mayor stated his belief that people’s expectations were

constantly changing and that the high level of voids in Kenton Court and

Somerville were directly related to the inferior provision. Some residents

wished to remain come what may but prospective applicants were just not

interested. He recognised the proposals represented a very difficult issue

which aroused a deep strength of feeling. The Mayor said he believed

approving the proposals was the best course of action but that the

consultation had to be measured and sufficiently supported to ensure that it

was done correctly.

Having considered an officer report, and presentations by two relatives of

Somerville residents, a representative of Healthwatch and the Cabinet

member for Health, Well Being & Older People, Councillor Chris Best, the

Mayor for the reasons set out in the report:

RESOLVED that

(1) the information about the process that has been carried out to date, and in

particular the physical conditions and shortcomings of the two schemes, the

existing cost of the two schemes, and the details of the consultation process

that has been carried out with tenants and their families, be noted;

(2) the comments made during the formal Adult Social Care consultation

which had taken place in line with the recommendation from the 25 June 2014

report on the Council’s in-house extra care service at Somerville and Kenton

Court be noted;

(3) the comments made by secure tenants in response to the statutory

consultation undertaken pursuant to Section 105 of the Housing Act 1985 in

relation to the proposals be noted;

(4) consultation taken place with staff from the in-house extra care

service in line with the recommendation from the 25th June 2014 report on the

Council’s in-house extra care service at Somerville and Kenton Court be

noted;

(5) Having considered the comments made for the three consultations, the

Council-managed extra care service at Kenton Court and Somerville

should be closed;

(6) the building at Kenton Court should be closed for its current use and

proposals for the Council to develop alternative general needs housing at the

site be further developed;

(7) the building at Somerville should be closed for its current use and

proposals for the Council to develop alternative general needs housing at the

site be further developed;

(8) officers should present plans for re-development of the two sites, as part

of future phases of the New Homes, Better Places Programme, to the Mayor

for approval at the earliest opportunity;

(9) officers should continue to discuss with existing tenants options for other

services that would meet their needs and put in place individual and

personcentred plans for services which will meet those needs; and

(10) as part of this process, in due course and as a last resort, Notice of

Seeking Possession be served under Ground 10 of Schedule 2 to the

Housing Act 1985 and possession proceedings brought against any remaining

tenants at Kenton Court and Somerville in order to protect the Council’s

interest and potentially to safeguard vulnerable residents.