Extra care - Supported Living Accommodation

Description

Northumberland is the most northerly county in England and covers a large area from the Tyne and Wear conurbation to the Scottish Border. The county covers an area of 400,000 hectares and has a population of 306,000 people living in approximately 130,000 households. Over half of the population lives in less than 5% of the land area and it is the least densely populated county in England. More than half of the population live in a small area in the southeast of the county adjacent to the Tyneside conurbation, where the main centres of commerce and industry are located. This part of Northumberland contrasts sharply with the sparsely populated rural areas in the north and west of the county where agriculture dominates. Northumberland County Council (the Council) is committed to the development of Extra Care and approved a revised version of the Extra Care and Supported Living Strategy in February 2024. https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Care/Support/Long-term-support.aspx There is very limited supply of independent supported living accommodation for older people in Northumberland and the current extra care schemes are in high demand. The Council would like to see more extra care being delivered which can provide homes and support for people with a range of needs, offering an alternative to residential care and sheltered accommodation. The Council is seeking to appoint Registered Providers to design, construct and manage extra care schemes at various locations across the county. Extra care accommodation for older people over 55, will also include people with learning disabilities, mental health conditions, early onset, and mid-term dementia, and those with a physical and/or sensory disability. There will take a flexible approach where people under 55 will be able to live at the schemes. Nine key locations have been identified for the development of extra care schemes in the next 5 years. These are: • Amble • Hexham* • Prudhoe • Alnwick* • Berwick • Blyth* • Cramlington* • Morpeth • Ponteland* There are 5 sites owned by the Council (*). The Council has completed an initial analysis of demand and suitability at these locations considering: • demand for the schemes • the location of local amenities • access to good and regular public transport links nearby • access to open spaces, communal gardens, and outdoor activities • initial feedback from planning officers regarding the suitability of sites for extra care. The Council will also consider other larger towns in the county, sites put forward by Registered Providers as well as innovative solutions for those people living in more rural parts of the county. Financial support for extra care schemes that meet the strategic objectives set out in the Adult Services Extra Care and Supported Living Strategy 2024 will also be available. https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/NorthumberlandCountyCouncil/media/Health-and-social-care/Grants-to-Support-the-Development-of-Extra-Care-and-Supported-Living-in-Northumberland.pdf In addition, Registered Providers may bid for capital from the Section 106 Affordable Housing S106 Developer Fund. https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Housing/Affordable.aspx ---------- Update ---------- Thank you for attending the market engagement meetings and for your feedback regarding the design guide and specification for extra care. The new Procurement Act 2023 came into force as of the 24th of February 2025 and this had led to changes in the way procurement exercises are carried out. In light of this we have taken the decision to stagger the publishing of this opportunity to allow the new Act to be fully implemented. Another change is the launch of a new procurement portal OPEN, which is now live. Any future tenders will be published using this platform so please visit https://www.open-uk.org/ to register now. We have enclosed a copy of the proposed updated tender timeline. Any further changes will be shared via the portal, and it remains our intention to procure in 2025 for the first of the Council owned sites via a multi-lot procurement exercise. Please be aware that the proposed extra care scheme at Hexham Middle School is being procured via a separate procurement exercise due to the size of and different housing types that the site will allow. The timetable for this procurement will be confirmed in due course. The Council has also considered the Affordable Homes Programme. With an update expected in June, we feel it would be best to revise the proposed timeline for this opportunity to allow bidders greater certainty regarding the new programme and the grant funding available. We'll provide further updates in due course, however if there are any questions please reply via the portal" Keywords: Accommodation, Adult Services, Extra Care, Construction, Design