£4m support living scheme officially opened

Celebration of supported living at Holly Bank Apartments held after pandemic

Holly Bank Apartments, Oldham’s largest Learning Disability Supporting Living scheme has been officially opened by Oldham Council and the MioCare Group, with a special celebration event.

Purpose-built and named by the people that first moved in, Holly Bank features 20 self-contained modern apartments specifically designed to help residents live as independently as possible.

The scheme is run by the MioCare Group, which  delivers high-quality care and support across Oldham. As a council-owned company, MioCare and its 550 plus strong workforce is driven to deliver the best outcomes for the people who use their various services.

One of those is the Group’s Learning Disability Supported Living Service, which is delivered in different locations across the borough, with skilled on-site teams supporting residents. The aim of the service is to enable and support people to get the most out of life in the community they know and love.

The first residents moved into Holly Bank just as the global coronavirus pandemic began, putting a hold on celebrations. Now, with residents settled and restrictions eased, a special event took place to mark its official opening.

Oldham Council Leader Amanda Chadderton unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion while residents welcomed visitors with performances of a couple of their favourite songs. They also shared their own stories and views of life at Holly Bank, as family members gave feedback too on the success of the service.

Joanne, who was the first person to move in said: “I have lived here for over two years and I moved to Holly Bank to show I can live very independently!”

Another resident had her grandparents with her, with grandma very keen to share some feedback on the day too: “If someone had told me Sophie would be living in her own apartment, doing her own shopping I would never have believed it but here we are. I am so proud of her.

“And to the support staff, and I don’t like calling them staff because Sophie herself describes them as family – they have so much compassion and empathy and I can’t find the words to properly thank you all. You are amazing and it is a wonderful thing you are doing. You don’t only support residents but you support families too.”

Cllr Chadderton, who is also Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing, said: “Holly Bank is the MioCare Group’s and Oldham Council’s flagship Supported Living property and it is brilliant to meet residents and their families and hear about the positive effect the service is having on their lives. 

“Every resident deserves a home that meets their individual needs and this development is a fantastic example of how that can be achieved through collaborative working with our partners.  

“The project was also a significant regeneration scheme which has transformed a brownfield site into much-needed new homes. We wish residents every happiness for the future.”   

The £4 million scheme is built on the site of the former Limecroft Resource Centre on Whitebank Road, Limeside. Each apartment has its own front door and postal address, with 24-hour support provided by the MioCare Group through their team of dedicated Community Support Workers.

Karl Dean, Managing Director of the MioCare Group, added: “The official opening of Holly Bank has been a long time coming and it is testament to the fabulous integrated working we have in Oldham that we have been able to deliver this fantastic scheme and service.

"Since the first tenants moved in 2020, a real community spirt has developed and the team have done a wonderful job in overcoming all the obstacles that the pandemic put our way. Holly Bank provides a high quality home with on-site care which will allows tenants to thrive.”