Tynwald last week approved a capital spend of ?1.3 million by the Department of Health and Social Care on a new 10 bed residential facility for adults with learning disabilities.
 
The facility will be constructed in Braddan at the Leece Lodge site and will involve transferring residents from two units at Radcliffe Villas on Glencrutchery Road in Douglas.  The building will be flexible, able to operate as a single facility for 10 residents or as two facilities for five residents each.  The building will see a significant improvement in the standard of accommodation for residents including bigger bedrooms, en-suites with hoisting and specialist bathing facilities and more accessible communal living areas including a garden.
 
The accommodation at Radcliffe Villas, which currently offers facilities for residential and respite care, does not comply with the Regulation of Care Act 2013 which lays down the minimum standards expected of a variety of care facilities for adults and children.
 
Subject to Tynwald and Treasury approval, once the new unit is built, the Radcliffe Villas site will be re-purposed to provide respite care.  This is essential if the Department is to continue to support vulnerable adults who live at home.
 
Minister for Health and Social Care, Howard Quayle MHK, said:

“This is a significant investment in fit for purpose and high quality facilities that meet the required standards, further demonstrating Government’s commitment to protecting the vulnerable.  Adults with learning disabilities who require residential care have highly complex needs.  Our strategy is to promote independent living wherever possible, but where residential care is required, we increasingly work to build small to medium sized facilities rooted in local communities, as is the case here.”
 
There are approximately 300 people on the Island with a complex learning disability with around 120 accommodated in a variety of community homes.  Since 1991 the Isle of Man has worked to develop community based services with a greater mix of residential care, respite care, supported living and day care services.
 
Planning for the building has been approved with the design sympathetic to the predominantly rural setting, using local materials wherever possible.  Construction work is scheduled to commence in March 2015 with completion and handover to the Department planned for early 2016.
 
Photo - The new residential unit as seen from the south west.