Council to spend more than £250,000 on house for family of disabled child
DERBY City Council leaders have agreed to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds of council funding to buy and extend a new home for the family of a child with complex needs.
The Conservative-led cabinet had to approve the purchase because the cost is “significantly more than £250,000”, it was heard at an executive scrutiny meeting. Due to the sensitive nature of the circumstances and “Child X’s” condition, details such as the total cost and the property’s location have not been made public.
Child X has a number of lifelong conditions that makes their needs complex to meet, according to a council report.
The purchase of the property was approved by the cabinet during its meeting last Wednesday. It is understood the cost of buying the house and extending it are separate.
The report states Child X “will never be able to live independently” and will always require 24/7 care and support with regular hospital appointments and emergency admissions.
Child X is fully dependent and non-verbal, but is cognitively aware of their own environment and uses assistive technology via eye gaze. The child has at least two carers at any one time and is dependent on parents and carers to deliver their full-time care needs to maintain wellbeing and daily living activities. In addition, the child has substantial nursing care to meet their medical needs.
The child is ventilated and has a gastrostomy which delivers medication and food. The child has vigilant, constant and repetitive suctioning and as he/she cannot regulate their body temperature, care must be taken to ensure the child does not get cold.
The report adds: “The family currently live in an adapted fourbedroom property, but Child X has physically outgrown the existing adaptations and the property cannot be adapted further to meet [the child’s] needs. This property is owned and managed by a registered provider of affordable housing in the city.
“The limitations within the current family home make it very challenging to undertake essential daily living tasks, both for Child X and the child’s family.
“There is a lack of privacy for the family who have to share their home with staff throughout the day and night which is having a negative impact on them.”
The council says the property and extension will be paid for from funds via the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) New Build and Acquisition capital budget and part funded by Right to Buy receipts (RtB).
The property will be managed by Derby Homes - Derby City Council’s own social housing company.
Asked why the cabinet had to approve the purchase, a housing officer told the executive scrutiny meeting “You will be aware that cabinet members can authorise expenditure of up to £250,000. This purchase will be significantly more than that and therefore we do need cabinet approval.”