Strong Voices

A large old house in Christchurch has been redeveloped into a new style of studio living for a group of IDEA Services residents.

The six-bedroom house in Roberta Drive in Somerfield, Christchurch, has been extensively remodelled into seven purpose-built studio units offering great living for six men who have complex needs.

“We ripped it to its bones,” says Christchurch Area Manager Michelle Hickey. She is thrilled to see the residence up and running after years of either being empty or being used as temporary accommodation. The home had been a residence for older people in our services, but when they moved into new accommodation the way was clear for something completely different.

Michelle says the project had been on the drawing board for eight years. The house has been taken back to concrete foundations with only a couple of original walls still standing. But steadily the project moved forward to the point where it opened as a home in January this year. Five of the seven units have an ensuite, three have a kitchenette, and each unit opens to an outdoor living space. There is also a large main kitchen, a shared bathroom and a large communal living area and gaming room.

“The rooms are beautifully done. They have been really well set up,” Michelle says. “They are larger than usual.” She says the style of living allows residents to choose how they live in the space and encourages positive relationships. People can mix with the other residents only when they want to and when they are able. Sixteen staff are rostered to support the residents, including two ‘wake-over’ staff at night.

Michelle says it wasn’t easy to staff the house because of a lack of confidence around the high-needs support. But with ongoing training, staff are now more confident. “I am really, really proud of them. I think they do an amazing job.” She says most of the residents would have previously had one-to-one support, which can be isolating for staff. The staffing levels provides peer support and allow more opportunity for residents to get out and about.

Service Manager Udeep Regmi manages the residence and works mostly on site. He says the new environment is already having a positive effect. Udeep says the residents have settled in well. “All of them have a very comprehensive day programme.” He says at times during the day, there isn’t anyone at home. David Hawthorn moved into Roberta Drive in February, returning from Wellington. “He has family in Christchurch and is looking to make friends in the city,” Udeep says. On Mondays David volunteers with the Travis Wetland Volunteer Team, and volunteers to look after sick or rescued dogs on Tuesday. He has a job delivering pamphlets on Wednesday. The rest of the week is taken up with either helping out around the house or choosing to treat himself to some new DVDs, and church on Sundays. The project was managed by IHC property company Accessible Properties. It is part of a programme that is testing new housing models and delivering homes that are futureproofed, are fit for purpose and meet the needs of specific residents

Caption: David Hawthorn is back in Christchurch and settling into his new studio unit at Roberta Drive.