Groundbreaking Care Home Provides Supportive Living Environment for Young People with Life-Limiting Conditions
Today marks one year since the opening of Number 92, a pioneering residential care home in Heaton Moor, Stockport. The facility, operated by Francis House Families Ltd, a trading subsidiary of Francis House Family Trust, offers a supportive living environment for young people with life-limiting conditions and complex needs.
The care home is now home to six young people, who previously were cared for full-time by their parents. This groundbreaking facility enables these young people to live in a domestic setting while receiving around-the-clock care from a team of highly trained staff.
Dermot Murphy, the Registered Manager of Number 92, has a passion for pioneering initiatives in social care and has been instrumental in developing and improving services at the facility. Reflecting on the past year, Murphy says, “It’s been a remarkable achievement to get Number 92 fully staffed and with all the young people settled in. It’s a tremendously difficult transition for a young person to leave home, where they have lived all their lives, and move to be cared for by other people. We have received an awful lot of trust from the parents, and we are enormously grateful for that.”
The transition has not been easy for the young people, but the staff at Number 92 have taken the time to get to know each individual and their unique needs. Murphy adds, “Because we staged it in the way that we have, we’ve managed to get to know each of the six young people as individuals as they moved in. It’s been a joy to see them develop, their personalities blossom, and see most of the families take up opportunities that weren’t available to them before because they’re not having to act as carers. The extent that it has changed those family’s lives has been remarkable.”
One of the parents who has seen firsthand the positive impact of Number 92 is Fiona Ferguson, whose daughter Elizabeth, 20, moved into the facility in April 2023. At first, Fiona continued to take her daughter to and from college, but she soon felt comfortable enough to let go and allow the staff at Number 92 to take over her daughter’s care.
Fiona says, “It’s been a new experience for both Elizabeth and I, and she is getting to do things that I would never have dreamt of doing with her and she loves it. She’s living like a 20-year-old should, rather than with me. She gets choices and options now with the staff there. Her world has opened up to new experiences, and she’s living with friends the same age.”
After being a full-time carer for twenty years, Fiona now has a job that she loves working with adults with learning disabilities at a day center. She adds, “For me, I’ve got peace of mind, which is my biggest takeaway. I know the care she gets is just exceptional. Elizabeth is in this house now where she’ll be forever more and receive the best care that she can, and for me as her mum, it’s just unbelievable.”
Number 92 operates with an open-door policy, allowing parents to visit at any time, get involved, or simply have a chat and a cup of tea with the staff. A team of 23 provides round-the-clock care, with Angela Doyle as Clinical Lead.
Angela says, “It’s going really well, and from the parents’ perspective, they are starting to see a different side of their loved ones that they probably wouldn’t have seen before from a social engagement point of view. We’ve taken the young people out to a karaoke at a local pub, and the community was really engaged in wanting them involved and up on the stage, which was amazing.”
The staff at Number 92 are also keen to integrate the young people within the community and give them the full experience. They arrange trips to the barbers for haircuts and to the beauty salon for manicures and pedicures. Angela adds, “The needs of the young people are complex and unique. We’re liaising with the colleges, the local authorities, sourcing music therapy, and exploring other areas that weren’t previously considered. There is so much scope here now, it’s amazing.”
The residential facility, operated by Francis House Families Ltd, is funded by the individual residents’ Local Authority Care Budget. Additionally, all of the young people can continue to receive respite care and symptom control at Francis House Children’s Hospice.
The success of Number 92 is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the staff, who are committed to providing the best possible care for these young people and improving their quality of life.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.