Powys Council is searching for sites to build five “area” care homes, to meet demands of an ageing population

Powys County Council is searching for sites to build five “area” care homes, in a move to meet the future demands of an ageing population.

At a meeting of the council’s Health and Care Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, November 11, councillors will receive an update report on the “Powys-owned care homes programme”.

The paper sets out a timeline for area home developments, which is dubbed “phase two” of the programme.

This sets out the next steps following the completion of “phase one”, which ended with Shaw Healthcare being given a 15-year contract to run the 12 older people’s care homes and one reablement facility on behalf of the council.

This new contract came into force on June 1.

Part of the contract will see Shaw Healthcare provide “support within the new area homes”.

The report said: “Phase two focuses on business cases for five proposed area homes: these are modern, area-based care homes designed to offer a flexible mix of residential, dementia, nursing and complex care, so that people can receive appropriate care closer to their communities as their needs change.

“Detailed service specifications, capacity, locations and delivery arrangements will be informed by demand analysis, co-production, affordability and formal approvals.”

The report explains that a “target operating model working group” is considering the options for how to pay for these homes, as well as their development and ownership models.

This group will also need to weigh up the financial risks and affordability of the programme, as well as consider the potential demand in the county.

Models being considered are: council-funded and owned build, a hybrid/joint venture between the council and a developer, a developer-funded landlord model, or a care provider-funded build.

The programme is supposed to see the council work hand in hand with Powys Teaching Health Board, which is itself looking at a potential home-based healthcare model.

The paper said: “A joint workstream with PTHB has commenced exploring the future service model and a potential pilot.

“Redesigning a service to better meet the need provides the opportunity to support people closer to home, reduce the need to travel out of county and country to have their needs met.”

Weekly meetings with PTHB officials are already taking place.

Councillors will be asked to note the report.