Making it happen
Scott Sanders, director of Derwen, explains his ambitions for Wales’s only older people’s housing company
What is Derwen?
Derwen has been created to provide housing and related services informed by the needs, aspirations and concerns of older people. It is part of Seren, a group with significant experience in providing homes and services to people across South East Wales and parts of England.
Why do older people need their own housing company?
A key reason is changing demographics and the expanding older persons’ population. In Wales, the median age has risen from 36.5 in 1985 to 42.1 in 2014 and is projected to rise to 43.7 by 2035. From our existing work at Seren, we recognise the distinct and diverse aspirations of older people, who are our biggest emerging client group.
So is Derwen starting from scratch?
Yes and no! As a group, we already offer a wide range of services designed to make it easier for people to live a healthy, independent life within their community and our ambition is to deliver new, innovative approaches to older people’s housing, always centred on the needs of the individual. By creating a specialist company 100 per cent dedicated to providing older people’s housing and support, Derwen can now make this happen.
In April 2014 Newport Housing Trust joined Seren under the new name of Derwen. The trust began looking for a company to join in mid 2013 and following an interview period involving five other local housing organisations, Seren was selected in November 2013 as its partner of choice.
Charter Housing (also part of Seren) spoke to residents living in its dedicated older peoples’ housing about the potential to transfer into Derwen and they fully understood the benefits and quickly decided to take the opportunity. Another important addition to Derwen is Newport Care & Repair Agency. Having a breadth of service offerings for residents will be critical.
What inspired you to create Derwen?
That’s easy, our residents – we have wanted to find a way to specialise in older people’s housing and support but we didn’t have enough critical mass. Derwen starts work with over 1,000 homes for older people and this is a solid foundation on which to grow and innovate. Crucially, the company has sufficient mass to attract funding, enabling the development of more homes and services for older people.
Our experience ranges from independent bungalows and apartments with flexible support through to homes with extra care. We are also developing low density clusters of homes for people with early onset dementia. This experience should help generate interest and create exciting opportunities for Derwen.
What makes older people different?
The same thing that makes us all different: individuality. But there are distinct challenges that many older people face as they age, such as sight and mobility impairment, digital exclusion, social isolation and financial instability. These challenges demand that older people live in homes that suit their changing circumstances and are supported with services that enable them to live independently at home and in the wider community.
Older people often have more life experience, wisdom, insight and understanding than their younger neighbours. Our resident panel is made of people with a wide range of career and personal backgrounds who all have a huge amount to contribute to shaping Derwen – they and our other residents also tend to have the time to really engage in the company and the wide range of events and activities we organise.
Will Derwen be building lots of care homes?
No, we want to create something not already in the marketplace, we don’t intend investing in large care homes. We believe people should be able to retain their independence and have support where they want and need it. Our ideal is that people will walk into Derwen homes and think they either want to live there or they would be delighted for a relative to do so. They will in-still a sense of pride.
How important are partnerships to Derwen?
Extremely important, we will continue to build strong relationships and unlock opportunities to work with organisations such as health boards, Welsh Government, local authorities and social services teams. We are also particularly keen to work with charity and third sector organisations that represent and promote the interests of older people in Wales.
For more information see www.derwen-cymru.co.uk and @DerwenCymru