Maidenhead & Windsor

Making sure The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has sufficient high quality residential accommodation to cater for the needs of its growing population of older people – especially those who need a very high level of care – is a key part of social services planning and this week sees the start of a major consultation on the improvement and expansion of one residential home in Windsor.

Cabinet, meeting last Thursday (November 24), agreed that the views of residents and staff at Wardens Lodge, Windsor, would be an essential part of any future plans to turn the out-of-date 26-bed unit into a brand new home, purpose-built to provide around 50 places with modern facilities, including en suite toilets and showers.

Importantly, it would be equipped and staffed to care for very frail older people and those suffering from dementia or severe disabilities – the current building does not allow for this high level of care and concern has been raised by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI).

A similar scheme has already started at 21 Courthouse Road, Maidenhead, where the aging building has given way to construction of a state-of-the-art 76-bed unit to be completed in October 2006. At the same time there has been an increase of "extra care" sheltered housing to meet the needs of older people who, with home care and other support, are enabled to maintain their independence in the community.

Windsor and Maidenhead Cllr Pam Proctor, lead member for social services, said there was a pressing need for the borough to plan for more and better accommodation for its older residents but the views and concerns of everyone involved at Wardens Lodge – residents, their relatives and staff – must be taken into account before a final decision was reached.

She explained: "We are very sensitive to the needs of residents and we appreciate that Wardens Lodge is their home, so we want this consultation to be an open and genuine channel for them and their families to express their views about how they would like to see residential care developing in the future."

Windsor and Maidenhead Cllr Proctor stressed the council's aim of making sure that the Royal Borough has the accommodation it needs to provide for the many and sometimes complex needs of the aging population. "We are looking at how this can best be achieved over the next few years without sacrificing the quality care already being provided for our existing residents," she said.

Unfortunately, Warden's Lodge, which was built in the 1960s, is now out of date. Some of the rooms do not meet CSCI registration space standards and none have en suite facilities to afford residents the privacy they need.

Windsor and Maidenhead Cllr Proctor said: "Wardens Lodge is well regarded in the community for its caring environment and staff and we would like to build on this reputation to provide for the borough's needs in the future. However, no final decision has been taken - and will not be until after the consultation gives us the opportunity to consider everyone's views."

The joint commissioning strategy for older people, adopted by the council and the Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead Primary Care Trust, shows that the borough's population of over 65s is expected to rise by 7% by 2006. The most significant increase will be in the numbers aged 85 and over (forecast to increase by 17% in the same period). The strategy also predicts an 11.5% increase in the number of people with dementia, again with the greatest increase (20%) in the 85+ age group.

Jim Gould, Windsor and Maidenhead director of social services, said: "Even with the new residential accommodation at 21 Courthouse Road and recent extra care accommodation, the Royal Borough does not have enough appropriate residential accommodation to cope with future demand. The strategy makes it clear that we must take steps now to put that right and we are moving forward with partners in housing associations to address the problem.

"The idea to develop Wardens Lodge so that it could be registered for older people needing high levels of care could be a tremendous help but we need to get people's views at this early stage before reaching a conclusion."

Through partnership working with local housing associations, the Windsor and Maidenhead council has already developed new extra care facilities at Maudlsey House, Maidenhead, Christian Smith House in Woodlands Park and Viscount Court in Windsor. A new extra care scheme opened earlier this year at Elizabeth Court in Maidenhead, taking the total of extra care flats available up to 80.

The Wardens Lodge consultation, starting this week, will involve one-to-one meetings with residents, their families and staff, giving them the opportunity to discuss their own personal needs and circumstances and to talk through the options available. There will also be discussions with the council's partner organisations such as health, a wide range of voluntary organisations and others.

The consultation will also give the borough the opportunity to get people's views about how best to enhance the Wardens Lodge day centre facilities in the future, either by close working with the voluntary sector on the current site or by reproviding the service on a different site.

The consultation will last until January 31 2006 with a report going to cabinet in February 2006 for further consideration.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead ~ 29-Nov-2005