Preparing for merger in 2019, we recognised that there was a superb opportunity to integrate the care services of Housing Plus Group and Stafford and Rural Homes, to provide more choice for older people right across Staffordshire and Shropshire. 

During this year we began to fulfil the promise we made on that merger, to provide one-third more hours of crucially-needed care and support. 

Telecare response is offering exciting opportunities to provide cost-effective, scalable support for people in their own home. Demand for our excellent domiciliary care service is growing and we are continuing to improve the quality of retirement living accommodation, having been shortlisted as the Best Older People’s Landlord in the UK Housing Awards.  

The Board agreed to expand our services still further, with the purchase of our first residential nursing home. 

In 2019-20 we saw full occupancy of our retirement living accommodation, with waiting lists in many of our schemes and satisfaction levels consistently above 90 per cent. Following our merger, we house more than 2,000 older people in 53 schemes across Staffordshire and Shropshire.  

Our growth will continue, with the imminent launch of Wren House in Stafford and work now underway on new apartments in Kinver. 

With an ageing population and the expectation of further pressures on funding for social care, our challenges continue to be significant. In the future, our priorities will be to develop our telecare solutions and to help alleviate social isolation among older and vulnerable people. We will also work with colleagues across our Group to meet the longer term housing and care needs of the elderly, particularly in rural areas.  

Our experience in recent months has demonstrated that we have the best possible people to meet those challenges. 

I hope you enjoy reading more about our work and meeting an animated version of customer John Birch, as he shares his experience of life in one of our retirement living communities.