THE creation of a new care company to deliver high quality housing to older people in Norfolk is being debated by councillors next week. The company would be responsible giving older people in Norfolk a range of choices in care, with the aim of helping them lead as independent a life as possible.

THE creation of a new care company to deliver high quality housing to older people in Norfolk is being debated by councillors next week.

The company would be responsible giving older people in Norfolk a range of choices in care, with the aim of helping them lead as independent a life as possible.

Members of the Adult Social Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel will be debating the idea for the company, which would manage Norfolk County Council's current and future care accommodation, including housing with care and residential care homes.

Owned by the council, the new care company would be able to access the commercial opportunities and funding needed to transform residential care homes to provide the extra 2500 care places needed across the county.

David Harwood, cabinet member for Adult and Community Services, said: “Our aim is to provide more care places, at better value for money, in high quality accommodation. However, this would require a major capital investment in very difficult economic times and we do not believe we can deliver this work alone.

“We need to explore the possibility of setting up a new care company that could help us access the commercial opportunities and capital funding necessary to turn our strategy into action.”

The next stage will be to seek cabinet approval at its June meeting, and then the creation of a detailed business plan to test the viability of the proposal.