The Great Hospital in Norwich has announced a new vision and is consulting on proposed changes to the care and other services it provides for sheltered housing residents, in order to be sustainable for the future.
The charity was founded in 1249 and has an unbroken 775-year history of supporting local people in need. Today it provides affordable sheltered homes for over 100 older people in former almshouses, period buildings and more modern accommodation, and balances this responsibility with maintaining and preserving the outstanding heritage buildings on the site which are among the finest in the UK.
As well as being a charity, the Great Hospital is both a Registered Social Landlord and a Regulated Care Provider, and a small team of care staff is employed to provide regulated care (also known as ‘Personal Care or ‘Extra Care’ or ‘Domiciliary Care’) to 20 of the 106 residents. In recent years the cost of providing domiciliary care has been heavily subsidised by the charity but rising costs, difficulties in care staff recruitment and a total annual subsidy of £0.5 million (2022-23) mean this approach to the care provision is unsustainable.
Going forward, it is proposed that residents who need it are supported to access domiciliary care from a third-party care provider, based on their needs. The changes proposed would mean that a care team would no longer be employed.
The Trustees and Senior Management of the Great Hospital are proposing the employment of a new Resident Engagement Team who will have an on-site presence seven days a week to carry out regular welfare checks in line with all residents’ needs and wishes. They will also help residents to enjoy the unique community and will signpost them to any local services they need. Subsidised hot meals and refreshments are proposed for residents seven days a week, subject to sufficient demand, and the current regular social events, special occasions and other entertainment will continue.
James Banham, Chair of Trustees at the Great Hospital, says: “Our vision is to create a sustainable future for the Great Hospital, delivering the best possible affordable independent living accommodation for older people in need with the parallel responsibility of preserving and maintaining our beautiful heritage site. The proposed changes will help ensure that the charity can be fair and accountable in how money is spent, to the benefit of all residents.”
The Great Hospital is seeking feedback from residents, families and the community, and a separate consultation is being held with staff whose roles are directly affected by the changes and who are unfortunately at risk of redundancy.
Gina Dormer, CEO and Master of the Great Hospital, says: “We know change is difficult and I will be personally meeting with each individual resident who pays for and receives our care provision to explain the proposed changes and reassure them about the support they will be given in arranging domiciliary care from a local provider if they wish.”
All residents are being invited to attend consultation sessions between February and April. Overviews of each of the proposed areas for change are being published and residents are asked to complete a short questionnaire on each one.
The consultation covers proposed changes to the care provision and the introduction of the Resident Engagement Team; catering and retail services; a new resident alarm system; and the revised resident documentation.
For more information, please download the vision document or contact feedback@greathospital.org.uk.
