Council says poor and inaccessible housing can contribute to ill health and pressure on local services

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has admitted there is not enough suitable accessible housing in the county to meet demand, with more than 400 people currently waiting for accessible social housing.

The council confirmed that 403 people are on the Pembrokeshire Accessible Housing Register, which forms part of the Choice Homes @ Pembrokeshire housing register.

Of those waiting, 81% are in the gold band, while 62% require one-bedroom accessible accommodation.

A further 111 cases are currently awaiting occupational therapy assessment through to approval of assessed works for disabled facilities or discretionary disabled assistance grants.

The figures were released following questions from The Pembrokeshire Herald after a report by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists warned that poor and unsuitable housing is damaging people’s health and placing avoidable pressure on health and social care services.

Pembrokeshire County Council said it recognised that unsuitable housing was a local challenge, often linked to ageing housing stock across all types of accommodation.

A spokesperson said: “Within Pembrokeshire, we recognise that there are challenges around unsuitable housing, often linked with an ageing housing stock across all tenures of accommodation.

“We recognise that poor and inaccessible housing can be a contributing factor to ill health and increased demand on housing, health and social care services.

“As a council where a need is identified, we work across service areas to ensure that people are able to live safely and independently within appropriate accommodation.”

Hospital discharge delays

The council also confirmed that housing-related issues can affect hospital discharge planning locally.

It said there had been an increase in housing-related delays in recent years, caused by a range of factors, including the need for suitable accommodation after changes in a person’s health or ability to function.

This can lead to a need for home adaptations or alternative accessible accommodation.

However, the authority said housing-related factors generally represented a relatively small proportion of overall discharge delays in the area.

The council said: “There are concerns related to housing-related delays which impact hospital discharge planning locally.

“There has been an increase in housing related delays due to a range of factors, including the need for suitable accommodation following changes in an individual’s health or functioning.

“This may be for any tenure of accommodation, which subsequently can lead to a need for home adaptations, or alternative accessible accommodation sourced.

“Despite this upward trend in recent years, housing-related factors generally represent a relatively small proportion of overall discharge delays in the area.”

Insufficient suitable homes

Asked whether enough suitable housing exists locally for older residents and people with disabilities or long-term health conditions, the council accepted there was a shortfall.

The spokesperson said: “Given the numbers we have on our Accessible Housing Register as well as the ageing population in the county, we acknowledge that there is insufficient suitable accessible housing to currently meet demand.

“This is recognised in the Local Housing Market Assessment 2023 and Pembrokeshire Housing Strategy 2024-2027.”

The council said its Occupational Therapy Service works closely with housing providers across Pembrokeshire to assess needs and support appropriate housing solutions.

This includes adaptations to existing properties and the development of adapted homes.

The council said its Housing Service was also working closely with Adult Social Care and health partners to address the challenges.

Adapting homes

For social housing tenants who need adaptations, the council said needs are assessed through the Occupational Therapy Service.

Depending on the outcome of that assessment and the extent of the works required, adaptations are either carried out by the social landlord or, in some circumstances, alternative more suitable accommodation is sought.

For new social housing, the council said Lifetime Homes standards form part of the Welsh Government’s Housing Quality Standards for new build properties.

Housing and social care services also work together to inform the type and design of properties being developed, with the aim of ensuring the needs of people with disabilities and long-term health conditions are considered.

The council said this work is targeted according to the needs identified from the Accessible Housing Register.

It added that the approach focuses on early identification, regular discussion and joint problem-solving to help support timely and appropriate hospital discharges, as well as planning for current and future need through new build and acquisition programmes.

Wider Welsh concern

The council’s comments come after the Royal College of Occupational Therapists published its Building Health into Homes report, which argues that unsuitable housing is worsening physical and mental health, increasing hospital readmissions and adding pressure to health and social care services.

The report says there is little point discharging people from hospital if they are returning to homes that fail to meet their needs or worsen their condition.

In response to the report, the Welsh Government told The Herald: “Poor or unsuitable housing directly impacts people’s health and places additional pressure on NHS services.

“Delayed discharges linked to unsuitable housing are a serious concern and we are taking steps to improve patient flow and reduce delays, strengthening joint working between health, social care and housing services so people can leave hospital safely.

“This Welsh Government has been clear that housing is a public health issue, which is why we are aligning action across government, including through dedicated ministerial oversight, to create a healthier population.

“We are also strengthening adaptation services to support independent living and prevent avoidable admissions and are establishing a new national development body to speed up delivery of accessible social homes.”

Hywel Dda University Health Board also said health was shaped by wider living conditions beyond the NHS.

James Severs, Executive Director of Allied Health Professions and Health Science at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “Most of what determines our health and well-being sits beyond the NHS. While healthcare is vital, it is the conditions in which people live, learn, work and age that have the greatest impact on health outcomes.

“As a Health Board, we recognise that the NHS contributes only a proportion of overall population health, with wider factors such as housing, education, employment and the environment playing a much larger role.

“This is why our strategy for ‘A Healthier Mid and West Wales’ is focused on moving beyond an illness-centred model of care to one that prioritises prevention, early intervention and support in communities.

“We are committed to working in partnership with local authorities, the third sector and our communities to address these wider determinants of health, reduce inequalities and enable people to live healthier lives, well lived.”

David Lewis was on police bail when he contacted a child decoy account on Snapchat

A PEMBROKE man has been jailed after sending sexual messages and an explicit video to what he believed was a 12-year-old girl.

David Lewis, aged 42, of Ashdale Lane, Pembroke, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court after admitting child sex offences and offences involving indecent images of children.

The court heard Lewis was already on police bail when he contacted the Snapchat account, which was being operated by a police officer.

Prosecutor Craig Jones said police first attended Lewis’ home on August 6 last year and seized three mobile phones. An initial examination found child abuse material.

A full forensic download later revealed 263 Category A, 71 Category B and 51 Category C indecent images of children. The court heard the material included 246 Category A videos, 55 Category B videos and 37 Category C videos.

Lewis was also found to have shared a Category A image with another user on Telegram on July 27. The image showed a girl aged between ten and twelve being raped by an adult male.

While on bail, Lewis added what he believed was a 12-year-old girl on Snapchat on November 10. The account was in fact a decoy operated by police.

The court heard the account told Lewis she was at school and was 12. Lewis claimed he was 20 and sent a photograph of a younger man.

Over the following days, Lewis sent sexual messages, asked for inappropriate photographs and tried to call the account on Snapchat.

During one video call, he exposed himself and masturbated.

After his arrest, officers searched Lewis’ home and were able to match his bathroom and boxer shorts to those seen in the video.

Lewis pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child, attempted incitement of a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity, distributing an indecent image of a child, and three offences of making indecent images of children.

Mitigating, Dan Griffiths said Lewis accepted the position he was in and pointed to his early guilty pleas.

Judge Paul Thomas KC described Lewis as “a committed paedophile” and jailed him for five years.

Lewis must sign the sex offenders register for life and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years.

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been fined after admitting he breached a community order by missing probation appointments.

Asa Wandelt, aged 37, of Harrier Road, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Jun 15).

Wandelt admitted failing to comply with the requirements of a community order made by the court on February 23.

The breach related to missed office appointments on April 14 and May 18.

Magistrates ordered the community order to continue and fined Wandelt £80.

He was also ordered to pay £60 costs, bringing the total to £140. The court ordered payments to be made at £24 per month from July 13.