First Housing of its Kind Opens in Kent

MAIDSTONE, England, April 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Official opening on Wednesday 17^th April

Unique housing specially designed to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities has been developed by charity mcch society ltd.

The five state-of-the-art self-contained flats at Holly Lodge in Hildenborough, have been tailor-made for each tenant and fitted with assistive technology to give them greater independence and safety.

mcch, a charity that supports people with learning disability, autism and mental health needs across the South-East, has developed the building in consultation with challenging behaviour specialists, Kent County Council, mcch support staff, families, occupational therapists and our support partner Avenues Group.

David Holt, mcch's head of technical services, said: "To reduce the risk of damage and harm to tenants, mcch has incorporated features such as soft impact finishes to curved walls, removable magnetic door handles for kitchen units and dimmable recessed mood lighting. Mindful to keep disruptions to the tenants as minimal as possible, mcch moved all utility access panels to outside the buildings, which will limit the need for contractors to come into the tenant's flat."

In addition to managing this year-long building development, mcch will also provide support to the tenants, together with the Avenues Group. This exciting new support partnership will enable tenants to access a highly-trained team and specialists from two organisations which have expertise in challenging behaviour.

Penny Southern, KCC director learning disability/mental health, said: "Holly Lodge is an exciting project which we hope will transform the lives of its tenants. Too often, people with challenging behaviour cannot get the individual, tailor-made support they need in traditional residential homes so KCC is looking at ways to do things differently.

"Research shows giving people with learning disabilities more control over their environments and more personalised support results in improvements in their behaviour as well as quality of life. This has been the driving force of the partners behind this innovative new home. Although this project is on a small-scale, it will have a big impact on the quality of life of the disabled people who live there."