Finch Court

Retirement housing
Coles Close, Ongar, Essex, CM5 0AY
Coles Close, Ongar, Essex, CM5 0AY

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Info
Aims
Buildings
Services
Residents
Management / Costs

Manager's Description

"Finch Court provides extra care supported accommodation for older people. Support is provided 24/7, a daily meal as well as organised activities and occasional outings are regular. It is ideally locat..." Show more "Finch Court provides extra care supported accommodation for older people. Support is provided 24/7, a daily meal as well as organised activities and occasional outings are regular. It is ideally located
is in the small town of Chipping, Ongar, between Chelmsford and Epping. Buses serve Epping (for the Central Line), Harlow and Chelmsford. There is also a local taxi service." Show less

Main Facts

Retirement housing
Tenure(s): Rent (social landlord)
20 flats. Built in 1985. Sizes studio, 1 bedroom. Includes mobility and wheelchair standard properties.
Non-resident management staff (7 days) and Careline alarm service
Lift, Lounge, Dining room, Laundry, Garden, Shop, Hairdressing salon, Assisted bathing facility
Whole site accessible by wheelchair. Access to site easy, but less so for less mobile people. Distances: bus stop 500 yards; shop 600 yards; post office 3 mile(s); town centre 3 mile(s); GP 2 mile(s); social centre 1 mile(s).
Regular Social activities include: various activities, organised by residents and families. Meal(s) available (lunch). New residents accepted from 55 years of age.
Housing Authority: Epping Forest
Social Care Authority: Essex

Ethos / Lifestyle

Community interaction
  • The scheme is located within an existing active community
  • The scheme is within easy reach of an existing active community
  • The scheme relies on itself for community /neighbourhood interaction
Cultural
  • We facilitate spiritual and religious observance
  • Staff can speak languages other than English
Social Activities
  • There are regular social activities
    Including: various activities
  • Entertainment
  • Outings
  • Regular activities programme
    • Daily activities
    • Weekly activities
    • Monthly activities
  • Facilities for residents to garden or assist with gardening
  • Own minibus
  • Other transport for residents
Pets
New residents are allowed to bring pets:
  • a cat
  • a dog
  • If yes, pets can be replaced
    No pets permitted other than budgies
Statement of purpose
(the ethos and purpose of the scheme as described to a potential resident)
Finch Court supports residents to experience and enjoy independent living. Peace of mind and security are afforded by having staff on-site a day 7 days a week. A nutritious meal is provided daily at lunch time in the communal dining room where residents can interact with each other and staff on duty. Family are welcome to enjoy a meal with residents and there is a guest room if residents want family or friends to stay. On a weekly basis items from our food cupboard are ordered by residents and delivered by staff to the flats, and this includes a weekly fruit order. Social activities are discussed and arranged on a monthly basis, and include music, interesting talks, quiz, and fish & chip suppers. There is a hairdressing salon on site and the hairdresser comes on a weekly basis. The Chiropodist and hearing help use the salon too. Washing machines are available together with driers in our laundry room. Fowler Court has links with the community, e.g. Churches, and have good working relationships with the local GP surgery and Pharmacy who deliver medication on a weekly basis if required. We also work with the Care agencies and Social Services who are working with our residents. We aim to run a confidential service and to treat residents and their families with dignity and respect.
Assessment of outcomes
(to help assess the quality of service and the well-being of residents)
We hold monthly service improvement meetings, where Residents are encouraged to share ideas to improve the current working systems. There is a suggestion box in the foyer, and surveys and questionnaires are carried out from time to time.

Buildings

The buildings and the environment
Year built: 1985
Number of stories: 2
  • Lift(s). Number of Lifts: 1
  • Stair lift(s)
  • The location is generally regarded as:
    • Desirable
    • Average
    • Not so desirable
Distances to external facilities:
Bus stop 500 yards
Local shop 600 yards
Post office 3.0 miles
GP surgery 2.0 miles
Social/day centre 1.0 mile
Town/shop centre 3.0 miles

Individual properties
20 properties
Property details:
studio/bedsits flats: 18
1-bedroom apartments: 2
Including:
limited mobility properties: 20
wheelchair properties: 20
Other details:
  • If there are studios/bedsits
    • They have a kitchen
    • They have a wc
    • They have a bathroom
  • Some properties have a private balcony
  • Some properties have a private garden or patio
  • Properties are served by a communal satellite tv aerial
  • Properties are wired for cable tv
  • Dementia unit
  • Intermediate care suite or similar
  • Respite care accommodation
Communal facilities Indoors
  • Lounge
  • Restaurant (open to public)
  • Dining room (residents only)
  • Community/day centre
  • Laundry
  • Guest suite
  • Conservatory
  • Activities room(s)
  • Hobby room(s)
  • More than one lounge
  • TV lounge
  • Café
  • Bar/pub
  • Fitness gym
  • Arts and craft centre
  • Storage for wheelchairs/electric scooters
  • Library
  • Shop
  • Treatment room
  • Computer/IT room
  • Payphone
  • WC's
  • Hairdressing salon
  • Jacuzzi
  • Pool
  • Assisted bathroom(s)
  • Other communal facilities
Communal facilities Outdoors
  • Garden
  • Total number of parking spaces: 8
Technology and design
  • Communal facilities are designed for sensory impairment
  • Wired for telecare
  • Telecare installed
  • Smart Home
  • CCTV
  • Others
  • Facility security features: CCTV
  • Security features for individual properties: CCTV, Telecare
Accessibility
  • All communal spaces are accessible by wheelchair users
  • Most residents find getting to the site:
    • easy
    • manageable
    • difficult
  • Less mobile people find getting to the site:
    • easy
    • manageable
    • difficult

Services

Support services
  • Community alarm service
  • Provided by: Notting Hill Genesis
  • Alarm to call on-site staff
  • Housing support service (SP tasks)
  • Domestic assistance
  • Light domestic cleaning
  • Shopping
  • Housework
  • Personal laundry service
  • Hairdressing on site
  • Chiropody
  • Physiotherapy
  • Sensors (detectors) and monitors
  • Personal sensors
  • Property-based sensors
Meals
  • Meals are available on a regular basis
  • A daily meal is available
  • Details: lunch
  • Breakfast always available in restaurant/dining room
  • Lunch always available in restaurant/dining room
  • Dinner always available in restaurant/dining room
  • Breakfast can be delivered to individual homes
  • Lunch can be delivered to individual homes
  • Dinner can be delivered to individual homes
  • Restaurant is open to outsiders
  • There is generally a choice of menu
  • Residents are consulted on menus
  • All meals are prepared on the scheme
  • Vegetarians are specifically catered for
  • Special diets can usually be provided for
  • We can meet cultural dietary preferences
Care services
  • Personal care services
  • Dementia care
  • Care for people with learning disabilities
  • Nursing care
  • Intermediate care
  • Respite care
  • Mental frailty
  • Physical disabilities
  • Behavioural problems
  • Terminal illness
  • Our scheme is best suited to care for:
  • People who need minimal help
  • People who need moderate help
  • People who need a high level of help

Eligibility / Admission

User profile
  • 55 is the lower age limits for new residents
  • We cater for people with no/low level care needs
  • We are aiming at a mixed care levels population
  • Admission criteria are similar to residential care
  • Residents will not need to move except to hospital
  • The scheme is intended or specially suited to a specific religious, ethnic, profession or other group
  • The scheme is restricted to a specific group
Applicants must:
  • Be self-funders
  • Be on state benefits
  • Have local connections
  • Have a housing needs assessment
  • Have a community care assessment
  • Have a risk assessment
  • Have a health assessment
  • Have minimum housing support need
  • Have minimum personal care need
  • Have less than a maximum personal care need
For couples, both partners must:
  • Have minimum housing support need
  • Have minimum personal care need
We accept people with:
  • Visual impairment
  • Deafness
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Faecal incontinence
We would normally accept people with:
  • Memory problems - moderate
  • Memory problems - severe
  • Challenging behaviour - disruptive
  • Challenging behaviour - physically violent
  • Mobility problems - frame
  • Mobility problems - wheelchair
  • Mobility problems - bedfast
  • Wandering problems - inside home
  • Wandering problems - outside home

Management / costs

Management
  • Compared to our other schemes, this one is:
    • Popular
    • Average
    • Not so popular
    • Slow to let/sell
  • There is a tenants/residents association
Housing staff
  • Resident scheme manager
  • Non-resident manager
  • Housing staff on duty:
    • part time
    • normal hours
    • 24 hours
    • 7 days
  • Number of on-site housing staff: 3
Care staff
  • Site-based care staff
  • On-site care staff 24/7
Staff facilities
  • Manager's office
  • Care staff office
  • Staff overnight room with en-suite
  • Staff rest room with kitchenette
  • Staff locker and changing room
  • Main catering kitchen
Costs
Rents updated: 18/09/2017
Prices updated: 18/09/2017

Info updated: 19/10/2020
If you are the manager of Finch Court and want to update your information, please click here.

Availability

Many council and housing association lettings in this area are made through a 'Choice Based Lettings' system called Home Option. See how to register and then bid for properties at: https://www.homeoption.org/choice/
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