Much of the growth of Key Communities is being achieved by non-SHG funded development work.

A key element is bpha‘s £100 million care partnership programme to upgrade and replace former local authority care homes for older people in two counties, with joint venture care partners, The Orders of St John Care Trust.

Oxfordshire Care Homes

Since acquiring 19 residential care homes from Oxfordshire County Council in 2001, bpha has completed five new care homes, the latest being the £6.2 million Isis Care and Retirement Centre in Oxford. At Chipping Norton, bpha will be building an extended facility, including a GP surgery and community hospital facilities for the local Primary Care Trust.

Gloucestershire Care Homes

In 2005, bpha acquired, through a second joint venture with The Orders of St John, Gloucestershire’s 22 care homes. The first four replacement homes are currently being planned, with building work due to start later in 2007. As with Oxfordshire, the new schemes will shift some provision away from traditional residential care beds, towards nursing and dementia care beds and extra care sheltered housing.

Luton Borough Council

bpha is working in partnership with Luton Borough Council on new extra care housing for older people.

The local authority plan’s to replace the Farley care home with 60 extra care flats and a range of support facilities will be going ahead as a result of £2.3 million funding from the Department of Health. This is in addition to Housing Corporation funding of £3.38 million which will be used to develop extra care housing on the former Elm Trees home site in Leagrave featuring 47 units, providing a total of 107 new homes for older people in Luton.

Milton Keynes Hospital

bpha has been appointed by Milton Keynes NHS Hospital Trust to build 110 units of accommodation on site for nurses and junior doctors. Construction started in 2007. The award of this £4.5 million contract follows bpha‘s success with a similar scheme, The Horseshoe, for Bedford Hospital NHS Trust.