Seven plus points for Portsmouth’s Patey Court
ADULTS with learning difficulties have been living at Portsmouth City Council’s newest supported living homes, Patey Court, for seven months now.
This week Jim Patey, alongside the council’s housing and adult social care (ASC) staff, joined residents at the property to plant a new tree and to see how they’re settling in. It was also a chance to reflect on why the project has gone so well.
So, here’s seven reasons why Patey Court is the future of supported social housing in Portsmouth:
Patey Court, Paulsgrove offers housing and care for 28 adults with learning difficulties
1. The council’s in-house team designed it
Patey Court is a result of the expertise of the council’s in-house design team. Made up of architects, structural engineers, landscape architects, services engineers and quantity surveyors, they’ve proven how beneficial it is to create something from within the city, for the city. Chris Greed, architect at the council, agrees, adding:
“When we design new buildings in-house, residents can be assured that we only have one goal: to put them first, every time.”
2. They designed it to achieve a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating
Pulling no punches, the team designed Patey Court to achieve an ‘Excellent’ rating for its sustainability. The property’s already met expectations by achieving an EPC-A rating for its energy efficiency (fewer than 40,000 homes in England meet this standard), and the team is confident the BREEAM rating will soon follow thanks to its sustainable design and construction.
3. It’s all electric
That’s right, there’s no gas on site at Patey Court. The property was designed to run entirely on electricity meaning that when the national grid decarbonises in 2035, Patey Court will be net zero carbon. Because of this, it’s earned the title of the council’s most energy efficient building. How? It boasts high levels of thermal insulation and efficient lighting. It was fitted with triple glazed windows and PV solar panels, and it uses Tesla battery storage.
4. It provides heating and hot water in an innovative way
One of reasons there’s no need for gas on site is the installation of a communal ground source heat pump. It’s a more environmentally friendly way of giving Patey Court residents their heating and hot water. Providing heating in this way has been dubbed ‘ground-breaking‘ due to its efficiency over traditional heating methods.
5. Residents love living there
It may be well designed, but the most important thing is whether people actually like living there (spoiler: they do!). We spoke to Sue who moved into Patey Court six months ago. She told us she “loves living here!”, adding: ” I have the freedom to come and go when I want and can get help when I need it too. I like having my own space but I also get on with everyone, so I like using the communal rooms to meet with other people when I want to.”
Patey Court offers people like Sue a forever home with lifelong support in meeting their needs (plus “lovely views of the city!”), and the teams are glad everyone is settling in so well.
As well as a great interior, Patey Court delivers some beautiful city views / One of the communal areas inside Patey Court
6. It’s the fourth collaborative effort between housing and adult social care, with more on the way
Patey Court is the fourth supported living scheme that has benefited from a close working relationship between the council’s housing and ASC teams. It’s been so successful, there’s one more on the way (Highgrove Lodge). Andy Biddle, director of adult care, says:
“We know what adults with learning difficulties in Portsmouth need in terms of housing and care, we work with them every day. That’s what’s great about Patey Court – we were involved from day one and have been able to give these residents a home they deserve.”
7. It’s providing social housing care for adults with learning difficulties
Cllr Darren Sanders, cabinet member for housing and preventing homelessness, recognises the importance of providing good quality homes for those who need it:
“Projects like Patey Court give adults with care needs a chance to live more independently – to lead the lives they want to. That will remain a priority as we bring more supported living homes into the city.”
Patey Court resident Sue helps plant a new tree in the garden
