Brighton disabled people’s flats win praise

A housing think-tank has singled out flats in Brighton for disabled people for praise.

The Housing Learning and Improvement Network said that the ten flats at Vernon Gardens in Denmark Terrace showed the benefits of working with tenants before and after they moved in.

The flats were converted last year and include wheelchair-accessible kitchens and bathrooms, emergency call systems, specialist window openers and, in some flats, ceiling hoists.

The Guinness South housing association manages and maintains Vernon Gardens while staff from Care UK provide on-site support.

Brighton and Hove City Council’s adult social care services department places residents there, having assessed their needs.

And the site includes a resource centre run by the Fed Centre for Independent Living.

The Housing Learning and Improvement Network said that the people who live there had benefited from the chance to help shape the service according to their own personal needs.

The think-tank said that the benefits were social, psychological and financial and had led to positive feedback from tenants.

Councillor Rob Jarrett, chairman of the council’s Adult Care and Health Committee, said: “We’re committed to tackling inequality in the city.

“Vernon Gardens is giving local people with disabilities a wonderful opportunity to live more independently and improve their quality of life.”