The Assistant Director and Consultant in Public Health presented the report and explained it was a statutory duty of the Director of Public Health to prepare an independent report on the health and wellbeing of the local population each year. Last year’s report focussed on the sustainability of Children’s Social Care in Thurrock and this year it has focused on the current and future needs of older people with respect to housing. The report focuses on four key areas for older people’s housing:

1.   The need to build a bespoke range of specialist homes

2.   The need to build mainstream homes which are suitable across the life-course,

3.   The need to ensure existing housing is a suitable for older people 

4.   The need to develop health places which incorporate the age friendly features.

These changes suggest that it will help mitigate the effects of unhealthy, unsuitable, unsafe or insecure homes.

The Chair wanted to highlight that the residents’ health is very important and it would be beneficial for older residents to move into smaller accommodation if needed which would also prevent the cause of accidents if they are moved into bungalows. Furthermore this would give younger people the opportunity to buy properties in Thurrock, although the Chair wanted to clarify that this was not a suggestion for older residents to be forced out of their homes.

Councillor Redsell highlighted that the classing of older people as being over 55 needed to be considered in the context that people of that age could be very active. The Committee highlighted that the examples used in the report were not local ones. In response Officers felt local cases would have more relevance and this would be amended before the report is presented at Cabinet.

Officers explained the report promoted healthy living and supported residents to remain in their homes and was not about building more specific complexes for older people.

The Committee briefly debated the effects of loneliness that might occur from people staying in their own properties for longer. Officers explained LAC (Local Area Co-Ordinators) were in place to tackle loneliness, who had done very well by interacting with older residents to ensure they were not feeling lonely or isolated.

Councillor Spillman shared his concerns about older residents aged 50 - 60 on a low income and questioned the effects on their health and wellbeing. The proposals in the report could impact on them being able to privately rent and would leave them in a challenging situation which would impact on their health.

With regards to Occupational Therapy services the Director highlighted that the Council was in an improved position than in previous years as the waiting time for an initial assessment was 2 - 4 weeks.

Councillor Jefferies asked whether the Council had explored the opportunity to provide more flats that offer additional support.

Councillor Pothercary praised the report author for the detailed and very positive report, although she felt concerned that the developers did not want to meet the needs of older people. Officers stated it was for the developers and the council to meet the residents’ needs.

The Chair stated that most of the sheltered housing in Thurrock was of its time, having been built in the 1980s and 1990s and the scope of those buildings were limited at that time. The Committee highlighted the figure of 8,000 residents on the housing waiting list and the incentives to encourage single occupants living in larger properties to relocate to smaller accommodation was discussed.

RESOLVED: That:

1.   The committee noted and commented on the content and recommendations contained within the report.

2.   The committee considered how the findings of the report can best be used to influence wider corporate strategy