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Stoke on Trent City Council is curretly work to provide 390 social rent extra care housing units across three sites in the City.
What is Extra Care?
Extra Care Housing is housing designed with the needs of older people in mind and with varying levels of care and support
available on site. People who live in Extra Care Housing have their own self contained homes, their own front doors and a
legal right to occupy the property. In addition to the communal facilities often found in sheltered housing (residents' lounge,
guest suite, laundry), Extra Care often includes a restaurant or dining room, health & fitness facilities, hobby
rooms and even computer rooms. Domestic support and personal care are available, usually provided by on-site staff.
What is Private Finance Initiative?
A Private Finance Initiative or a PFI is a way of securing government money, usually for larger projects. PFI has been used by councils for nearly ten years to provide street lighting, neighbourhood centres, schools and hospitals.
The process involves the council commissioning a partnership of private sector companies and organisations to provide services, such as housing, for fixed term. Typically this is bound by contract to design, build, finance and operate the new facilities. It is seen as a quick and effective way of developing these services, whilst encouraging greater use of public money through private sector innovation.
The Bentilee neighbourhood centre built in 2007, provides a wealth of community facilities on site such as Citizens Advice Bureau, meeting rooms, internet café, youth service, library, doctors, and a café to around 12,000 people was provided through a PFI scheme.
The Process
The process involves selecting a partnership of private sector companies e.g. architects, construction companies, banks or building societies and managing agents such as Housing Associations, to provide the services for 25 years. This usually involves the partnership designing, building, funding, operating and maintaining the new facilities, which the council leases over the life of the contract (supported by government funding).
Following a conditional approval of the Outline Business Case at Treasury Project Review group in February 2010,
the Council worked with the government departments to achieve full approval on the level of PFI credits, which was
received in July 2011, now approval has been received a two year procurement programme will be undertaken, with Financial
Close expected in 2013.
Although design details and specifications are yet to be finalised, the extra care schemes will offer modern, self
contained accommodation and on-site care and support when needed. Schemes are set to boast a range of communal facilities
for both residents and the wider community to access, ranging from restaurants, coffee shops and lounges, to hairdressing
salons, therapy rooms and gyms.