Specialist autism accommodation backed by States

Tuesday 09 January 2018

Funding has been obtained by the GHA for eight specialist autism properties and 20 additional one bedroom flats in the Vale, at Le Vieux Jardin.

The States are backing the project, as Health & Social Care (HSC) will be providing the support staff and Employment and Social Security (ESS) are providing the land and funding support.

The support means the Guernsey Housing Association (GHA) are set to start construction on the accommodation, including a staff area and autism sensory gym.

The development - adjacent to La Nouvelle Maraitaine care home - will be a ‘first of its kind’ for Guernsey, the GHA said, as it will allow a number of islanders with autism who are currently residing in the UK to return to Guernsey full-time.

Currently, the States pay for those people to be specially housed in the UK.

Dermot Mullin, Head of Adult Community Services at HSC said: “We are delighted to see this much needed project going ahead and look forward to being able to offer a local and cost effective service to Guernsey people with autism”.

Pictured: concept design for the entrance to the development.

The GHA said it had worked closely with HSC and local architects Create to carefully research how to design the housing.

The design centred on the resident’s personal space in their standalone bungalows, separating staff areas to give them a defined property to call home – it incorporates a private courtyard area and includes the small sensory gym. 

Chief Executive of the GHA Steve Williams said one of the challenges they were facing with the project was the lack of similar accommodation to benchmark it against.

“The design and the quiet location of this development we hope will greatly support the needs of those with autism in a way never seen in Guernsey before – we are pleased to be pressing on with the project,” he said.

Following a tender process JW Rihoy were given the building contract for this development and work on-site will start in earnest during January.  It is expected to take approximately 17 months to complete.