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18
Apr
Ripon holiday lodges to double as temporary accommodation for adults with 'complex needs'
A holiday accommodation site in Ripon is to offer temporary stays for people with additional needs.
Riverside Lodges owner Naomi Smith sought North Yorkshire Council’s approval to change the use of the site to offer both holiday accommodation and residential care.
The company currently has eight timber lodges, six of which are wheelchair-accessible, which range from one to three bedrooms.
According to planning documents, no additional lodges or accommodation would be built to provide the care services, but the existing lodges would be used to offer adults with "complex needs", including autism and learning disabilities, both short and medium-term accommodation.
Plans say short-term respite stays, which typically last up to two weeks, would accommodate those in need of emergency or planned respite, as well as give their carers some time off.
Individuals will be offered medium-term or "transitional" stays, which can last for several months, by the council while its health and social care team finds them “suitable long-term, permanent accommodation”.
“These stays would remain non-permanent and fully supported by a regulated care provider”, the proposal adds.
The now-approved change of use means Riverside Lodges will continue to operate as holiday accommodation, whilst introducing the “complementary” social care service and allowing people to stay beyond its previous one-month limit.
Plans add:
All placements under the C2 [residential care] use would be arranged or endorsed by North Yorkshire Council’s health & adult services team, ensuring that people staying at Riverside Lodges under C2 permissions are closely managed.
The proposal aligns closely with North Yorkshire’s strategic direction for adult social care, particularly the priorities set out in Health and Adult Services 2030 (HAS 2030), which emphasise independence, prevention, choice, flexible accommodation with support and the development of a diverse and sustainable care market.
Floor plan for one of the two-bedroom lodges at Riverside Lodges.
Those staying at the lodges will receive 24-hour support, planning documents say, adding the maximum number of occupants staying for care reasons at any one time will be capped at 15 – half of Riverside Lodge’s existing capacity.
Plans also say the council’s health and adult services department has confirmed a “significant shortfall in respite provision and flexible, supported accommodation for adults with complex needs”, particularly in the Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough areas.
Council officers visited Riverside Lodges, the proposal says, and "expressed support in principle for the proposed model, recognising that it aligns with both current service gaps and the strategic direction set out in HAS 2030".
Delivering care
Plans say a Care Quality Commission-regulated care provider will support those staying at Riverside Lodges.
The operation could require up to 25 full-time equivalent roles, with around eight staff working throughout the day and two overnight if all lodges were occupied.
The application adds:
Placements for respite holidays or transitional assessments will be carefully planned in partnership with the local authority, ensuring that people accessing the service are appropriately assessed and supported.
Policies covering safeguarding, visitor management, accessibility, emergency response and risk management will govern daily operation.
The proposal also says the site would operate as a “calm and structured environment”, which would be “substantially quieter and less transient than a typical holiday park”.
“This provides assurance for neighbouring residents and supports the council’s strategic emphasis on enabling people to live well within their communities”, it adds.
The plans were approved on Thursday (April 16) subject to conditions, one of which is:
Stays at the lodges under use class C2 (residential care) hereby permitted shall not exceed a period of 24 months at a time by the same occupant and shall not be used as permanent residential accommodation.
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