King's Lynn and West Norfolk Profile
Population
The total population (2008) of Kings Lynn and West Norfolk is 142,600 (ons) of which 22.57% is over 65 and with a further 21.1% aged between 50 and 64. Over the next 10 years the projected percentage of older people as a proportion of the total population is expected to increase to 27.64%
Kings Lynn and West Norfolk covers the largest district council area in Norfolk and the sixth largest in England, some 550 square miles. Second only in population to Norwich City, it is mostly rural.
The main population and service centres are King’s Lynn, Downham Market and Hunstanton, with larger villages along the main arterial roads having pockets of housing and limited services. Public transport includes good bus and rail services to Norwich, Peterborough and Cambridge. Some transport routes out of the county are better than those to the regional capital in Norwich. Transport between outlying villages is infrequent where it exists.
Housing
85.86% of the housing stock is in owner occupation, with Freebridge Community Housing being the largest single provider of public sector stock including sheltered housing.
Within the total housing stock of 68,087 homes it is estimated that there are 19,193 homes occupied solely by older people, the majority of which, in line with the area as a whole, are owner occupiers. Of these it is estimated that 4,995 older people are living in housing that doesn’t meet the decent homes standard, 2,105 live in homes with serious household hazards that could lead to falls or injury and 5,304 households are in fuel poverty. Large areas of the district have no access to mains gas supplies.
In 2008 there were 5,225 applicants on the housing waiting list of which 1,082 were over 60. 30% of these older applicants were requesting sheltered housing. Of the 1,082 older applicants, 713 were aged between 65 and 74, 157 were between 75 and 79, and 232 were over 80. Most were ‘low banded’, meaning they had a low priority for housing.
It is clear that there is a significant demand for rented housing stock from older people in the area. It is possible that a number of those applicants would be willing to remain in their own homes with support and advice. It is also clear that there is insufficient public sector housing to meet that level of demand.
Social Care
Of the 19,000 households of older people in King’s Lynn and West Norfolk 14,102 are currently in contact with Social Services, the majority of which are over 85.
Whilst a significant proportion of this support is provided through Social Services, it is estimated that there are over 3,836 people over the age of 65 currently providing unpaid care services to their family and friends and that this is set to rise to nearly 6,101 aged carers by 2030.
Adult Social Services has contact with 14,102 clients from Kings Lynn and West Norfolk, accessing a range of services. The percentage of older people accessing aids and equipment is lower than other districts, with the largest take up of meals on wheels and a larger uptake of professional services. Adaptations and equipment are supplied through OT services or through Disabled Facility Grants, which in Kings Lynn and West Norfolk for 09/10 totalled £800,000.
Health
Kings Lynn and West Norfolk has lower levels of deprivation than the average for England, with the most deprived wards in and near the centre of Kings Lynn. Three of these wards are in the top fifth most deprived wards in the country and life expectancy for men in these wards is 4 years less than the least deprived wards.
There are higher than average levels of adult obesity and of people with a diagnosis of diabetes, but rates of early death from heart disease and cancer are lower than national averages and there is no difference in rates of early deaths from strokes or numbers of people aged 65+ admitted to hospital as a result of falls.
Projections for people with dementia, health limitations through strokes and limiting long term illness all show increases in the projections to 2030, growing in line with increases in the older population.
Community Health Hubs operate from GP practices in 4 main areas of the district, in Kings Lynn South from practices at St James, Southgates, Gayton Road, Fairstead and Dersingham; Kings Lynn North from Grimston, Terrington St Clement, North Wooton and Terrington St John. Along the coastal route at Hunstanton, Heacham and Snettisham, Burnham Market, Docking and Great Massingham. The final health hub area crosses into Breckland with GP practices in Kings Lynn and West Norfolk at Howdale and Bridge Street in Downham Market and also Boughton and Watlington.
Income and Benefits
In 2008 of the estimated 37,935 people over 60 in Kings Lynn & West Norfolk, 36,429 were claiming state retirement pensions. Of the total, 28.2% were in receipt of pension tax credits indicating poorer households, whilst 28.68% were recorded as being ‘affluent greys’ by ACORN segmentation . These are roughly in line with the county average.
Claimants of Attendance Allowance in older people’s households in 2008 stood at 5360, of which 2290 were at the lower rate and 3070 at the higher rate, indicating high levels of personal care requirements.
Sheltered, Residential, Nursing Home and Housing with Care Provision
Kings Lynn & West Norfolk has 987 Supporting People funded units of sheltered housing on 28 schemes belonging to 4 different providers, the bulk of the sheltered homes being owned by Freebridge Community Housing and 58 units of Housing with Care provided by Norfolk County Council.
Some existing sheltered housing schemes in the district do not meet the standards that applicants expect or that providers wish to offer.
The bulk of sheltered stock is located within the more densely populated areas of Kings Lynn, Downham, Heacham, and Outwell, with remaining schemes distributed around rural villages. Small housing with care schemes are located in Kings Lynn and Downham.
Care accommodation for older people in the King's Lynn area is below the county average. There is a projected surplus of 39 long stay care home places, against projected deficits of 110 housing with care places, 44 short stay care places, 24 care home places with nursing and 65 dementia care homes places with or without nursing.
In the Downham Market area there is a projected surplus of 112 long stay care home places, against projected deficits of 55 housing with care places, 30 short stay care places, 98 care home places with nursing and 102 dementia care homes places with or without nursing.
The Hunstanton area has no housing with care.
The number of units per 1000 population and the number of units per 1000 of the population aged 65+ are relatively lower than the averages for the county.
Current Supporting People Funding
Total possible spending by Supporting People for supported housing in Kings Lynn & West Norfolk is as follows:
Sheltered Housing - £459,543 allocated between 987 units
Housing with Care - £57,304 allocated between 58 units
There is support for alarm provision in the district with £283,811 of funding supporting 2624 units.
Housing Support Priorities for Kings Lynn and West Norfolk
As a large majority of older people are living in homes that they own we know from what they have told us that maintenance, security and affordability are major issues and what often drives them to seek sheltered housing, so it would be appropriate to target support to these areas and allow people to choose to remain living independently if they wish.
Pockets of affluent older people living in some areas where there is no current housing with care or sheltered provision may, with support, be able to access adequate services to allow them to remain living independently in their own homes. It is likely to be some time before new provision is made available and public sector housing stock cannot meet existing demand.
Fewer than average clients are accessing equipment which could increase their ability to remain living independently and similarly to other districts, few are using personalised budgets. It is probable that housing support working closely with home improvement and community health, could signpost and empower clients to access aids and adaptations appropriate to their needs and help with accessing funding and benefits, where older people are unable to fund support themselves.
The size of the district means that outreach support would be limited to areas where there were adequate numbers of older people to present sufficient demand. There are existing schemes in quite remote locations which currently struggle to let accommodation because of poor transport links. These may provide opportunities for joint provision of services from a single location if demand can be established.
Schemes in Breckland at Swaffham may be able to provide outreach to more remote areas of Kings Lynn & West Norfolk and schemes at Burnham may be able to provide support into North Norfolk.
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