To approve the preferred option to invest in and develop the council’s own care facility in Herefordshire to meet future demand.

The Council has identified that demographic changes and the development of the local care home market will bring pressure on existing capacity through increasing numbers of older and disabled people with complex needs. Additional care home bed capacity will be required to meet needs in such a way that the council can ensure access to care when it is needed and that the care is of high quality. There is also an opportunity to create new care facilities, which are high specification and fit for the future, for the delivery of care and support. Some of the options for consideration would see those facilities address the council’s environmental priorities, ensuring they are built to Herefordshire’s Future Homes Standard.

The options appraisal at Appendix 1 explores how the council can achieve 80 additional high quality care home beds under its control and sets out different options for doing so: 

1.     Do nothing;

2.     Enter into long-term block contractual arrangement with existing providers in the local market;

3.     Purchase buildings on the open market, redevelop and refit, to operate directly;

4.     Invest and develop the council’s own, large scale care home facility;

5.     Work with an investment and/or delivery partner to develop a new large-scale care home facility.

The appraisal identifies a recommended option for Cabinet to consider adopting as the council’s preferred approach, which would then be taken forward in greater detail for further consideration.