Residents 'scared' after Nottingham City Council pulls funding from two Framework housing locations
More than 50 vulnerable residents at two supported housing provisions could be without accommodation after the housing charity which runs them announced its funding has been slashed. Housing charity Framework has said it will be forced to close Hughendon Lodge and The Crescent in Mapperley and Hyson Green as Nottingham City Council is set to stop financing them on March 31 as a result of cost-saving measures.
The services offer housing and care for up to 52 people who have mental health issues having been referred to Framework through a council care assessment outcome. Often the residents have previously been homeless, sleeping rough, or in hospital.
Framework chief executive Andrew Redfern said: “This is a short-term decision that will have profound negative consequences. There is a housing and homelessness crisis, and this decision will make it worse – not least by removing specialist services for those being discharged from hospital.
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“We do not have alternative accommodation for these residents nor, to our knowledge, have other providers. We are therefore very concerned about this decision and its implications for a large number of very vulnerable people – both now and in the future. We stand ready to work with Council colleagues on a way forward that could mitigate the many risks. So we strongly urge them to think again.”
Nottingham City Council has said “next steps” will be discussed with those affected but has not given a time frame on this. Hughendon Lodge resident Damian Bowers, 49, spoke about the impact the news had on himself and others.
He said: “My anxiety was through the roof. I’m scared because we’ve all built our lives back up again and now I’m thinking ‘what’s going to happen now?’. It’s had a massive impact. I’ve been awake at night since the news worrying about where I might be sent and if that could cause me to slip again.
“One person came here and was heavily addicted to cocaine. Having been here eight months, they have been dry ever since, which is wonderful. They reacted [to the news] yesterday by crying their eyes out.
“A lot of people here haven’t been able to digest the news yet. “I would like them [Nottingham City Council] to come and see the effect their decision would have on us.”
Mr Bowers, who was a former auxiliary nurse for Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, has been at Hughendon Lodge for a year where he is battling alcohol addiction. He explained how the support he has received has helped him begin to turn his life around.
He continued: “I’ve got my health back, I’ve got my future back. I want to get back into society and I miss working. This place has literally saved my life and the support here has been overwhelming. I can’t tell you how wonderful all the workers are, each and every one of them.”
Nottingham City Council has said extra notice was given when deciding on the closures, but in a statement Framework has said ‘there has been no consultation with Framework, its residents, NHS or other partners involved in their care’. The charity said they were told of the council’s decision ‘prior to Christmas ’.
Mr Redfern is worried about the lack of clarification about how the closure will happen and the potential risks posed to residents. He added: “The timescale for the above also needs to be clarified – our understanding is that funding for the two services will end on 31st March. Framework and its residents need to understand whether everyone will be moving on that day, and if so where; or whether the process is to happen in stages.
“There is a clear risk that many of these residents will find themselves homeless with the potential for inappropriate placements in hotels or even night shelters that lack the capacity to meet their needs. Experience indicates that this creates a serious safeguarding concern, and could easily result in the kind of mental health crisis that necessitates hospital admission. One person has already been held under the mental health act after the uncertainty triggered a deterioration.”
On the closures, a city council spokesperson said: “The Council is committed to ensuring the right care and support for people, in the right settings – we take our statutory responsibilities extremely seriously. As part of our due diligence, we must ensure that we review and adapt all contracts and services, to ensure that we respond to the evolving needs of the community, while ensuring public funds are used efficiently and effectively.
“The notice given on this particular contract was longer than usual, acknowledging the impact these changes will have for current residents. Our social care and housing teams will continue working directly with people affected to assess their needs and discuss next steps for them.”