1 Summary

The following decisions are sought.

1.1 That the Executive Members approves the transfer of £2,941,500 from North Hampshire Primary Care Trust, under Section 28a of the National Health Service Act 1977.

1.2 That the Executive Member approves the granting of £2,791,500 to Downlands Housing Limited and £150,000 to Advance Housing and Support Limited, under Section 2 of the Local Government Act 2000, for the provision and refurbishment of housing for the residents of Darlington House and Sherborne House in Basingstoke, subject to a legal charge in favour of the County Council.

2 Reason(s)

2.1 Hampshire Social Services Department is working in partnership with NHS colleagues in Basingstoke to reprovide the services that are currently operated from Darlington House and Sherborne House in Basingstoke. The transfer from North Hampshire PCT and the grant to Downlands Housing Limited will facilitate the acquisition and refurbishment of properties in the Basingstoke locality. The reprovision of these services will result in a better quality of life for the people involved and will support AIM 1: Maximising Life Opportunities and AIM 5: Improving Services of the Corporate Strategy.

3

4 Other options considered and rejected

3.1 The Business Case for the reprovision, prepared by Surrey Hampshire Borders NHS Trust considered an number of options to improve the living environment for the residents of Darlington House and Sherborne House. Reprovision was the only viable option to deliver the environmental improvements and the life opportunities that are sought for these people.

5 Conflicts of Interest declared by the decision-maker or other Executive Member consulted

4.1 None

6 Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee

5.1 None

7 Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent

7.1 Not Applicable

Approved by: Date of decision:

Councillor Felicity Hindson

1 Summary

1.1 This report provides background information on the joint work with NHS colleagues in the Basingstoke locality, to reprovide outdated residential services for people with learning disabilities with housing and support that will give people more control of their lives and will support their integration into the community. To achieve this change, arrangements need to be in place to transfer money from North Hampshire PCT to Hampshire County Council, who will then grant the money to two housing associations, to purchase and refurbish appropriate properties.

This supports the following aims of the Corporate Strategy, AIM 1: Maximising Life Opportunities and AIM 5: Improving Services.

2 Background

2.1 Following the successful reprovision of the large long stay hospitals, Hampshire Social Services Department has continued to work collaboratively with NHS colleagues to reprovide a number of Locally Based Hospital Units (LBHUs) that were built in the 1970s to house up to 20 plus people on sites away from the long stay hospitals. The LBHUs are not fit to provide the quality of environment or to deliver the person centred services that are expected within the aims of the government strategy for people with learning disabilities - Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21^st Century.

2.2 In the Basingstoke locality there are two LBHUs, Darlington House and Sherborne House, that continue to provide residential services for 18 people. Surrey Hampshire Borders Trust have prepared a Business Case, that has been approved by North Hampshire PCT, to reprovide the LBHUs with housing and support in Basingstoke. The housing for 15 people will be provided by Downlands Housing Limited and two further properties will be provided by Advance Housing and Support Limited, where the 3 residents will be entering into shared ownership arrangements.

2.3 The service in the LBHUs is commissioned through North Hampshire PCT and is delivered by Loddon Alliance, the social care arm of Surrey Hampshire Borders Trust. Following the reprovision of the properties, Loddon Alliance will continue to provide the support into people's new homes and a transfer of revenue, under Section 28a of the national Health Service Act 1977 will be agreed between North Hampshire PCT and Hampshire Social Services Department. This work will be the subject of a further report in due course.

3 Process Required to Acquire Housing

3.1 To acquire the necessary housing for the reprovision, the NHS intends to sell the land where Darlington House and Sherborne House are sited. The sale of the land will happen after the replacement houses have been acquired and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Strategic Health Authority will broker the money necessary to acquire the new housing on the understanding that the proceeds of the sale of land are returned to the Health Authority by 31 March 2005.

3.2 Due to recent changes in NHS rules regarding the conversion of capital to revenue, the Health Authority and North Hampshire PCT cannot transfer money directly to the housing association. The solicitors for North Hampshire PCT, Bevan Ashford, have confirmed that the Strategic Health Authority can pass the money via North Hampshire PCT, to Hampshire County Council under Section 28a of the National Health Act 1977. Hampshire County Council can then grant the money to the housing associations under Section 2 of the Local Government Act 2000. This section of the act gives Local Authorities the power to promote the social well being of local people and is a central part of the Local Community Strategy. Enabling people to move from the inappropriate environment of the LBHUs into ordinary housing with their friends will greatly enhance their lives. The legal view put forward by Bevan Ashford has been confirmed by the County Council's Legal Section.

3.3 In order to ensure that the reprovision programme goes forward and the aims of improving people's lives is realised the process in 3.2 has been agreed by officers of the relevant organisations. Contractual agreements have been prepared between North Hampshire PCT and Hampshire County Council, between Hampshire County Council and Downlands Housing Limited and between Hampshire County Council and Advance Housing and Support Limited.

3.4 Hampshire County Council will have a legal charge over the properties purchased by the two housing associations and if in the future the properties are no longer needed for people with learning disabilities, the properties will be sold and the proceeds covered by the legal charge will be returned to the County Council. Within the agreement between the County Council and North Hampshire PCT, any money returned to the County Council by the housing associations will be passed back to North Hampshire PCT.

4 Conclusion

4.1 Working together in the collaborative way described above, will ensure that the reprovision of Darlington House and Sherborne House can be progressed and the 18 people still living in these services will be able to be resettled in their new homes before the end of March 2005 after a number of years of detailed planning, involving the people themselves, their family carers and advocates.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. That the Executive Member approves the transfer of £2,941,500 from North Hampshire Primary Care Trust, under Section 28a of the National Health Service Act 1977.

2. That the Executive Member approves the granting of £2,791,500 to Downlands Housing Limited and £150,000 to Advance Housing and Support Limited, under Section 2 of the Local Government Act 2000, for the provision and refurbishment of housing for the residents of Darlington House and Sherborne House in Basingstoke.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

The following documents discuss facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act

Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21^st Century