In Sandwell, moving into a care home is not the only option when home is becoming difficult. The borough promotes several alternatives, including extra care housing, supported housing and Shared Lives. The right choice depends on age, diagnosis, independence, the kind of support needed, and whether a person wants their own flat, a family-based setting, or something more structured.
Who this page is for
This guide is for adults with care and support needs, older residents, carers and families who are starting to ask whether ordinary housing is still right, but who are not sure whether a care home is the only answer.
Extra care housing in Sandwell
Sandwell describes extra care housing as self-contained apartments for people aged 55+ who need some support or care to live independently. The key point is that it is still your own home: you have your own flat, but support staff are on duty and the buildings are designed with safety and accessibility in mind.
- 24-hour staff presence
- Emergency alarm systems
- Shared facilities such as lounges, laundry, hairdressing or restaurants depending on the scheme
- Activities and opportunities to reduce isolation
Current Sandwell pages highlight schemes including Willow Gardens in Rowley Regis, Goldfield Court in West Bromwich, Oakley Gardens in Wednesbury and several other schemes across the borough.
Willow Gardens and Oxford Road: two useful Sandwell examples
The council’s current Willow Gardens page says the scheme has 90 apartments, including 23 two-bedroom and 67 one-bedroom apartments, with 24-hour onsite support. It is aimed at Sandwell residents aged 55+ who need care and support, with priority given to those needs.
The Oxford Road supported housing development in West Bromwich is different. It is for adults with long-term conditions, registered disability or care and support needs, and includes adapted bungalows and flats with community alarms. The page says adults who need care and support are given priority.
What Shared Lives offers
Sandwell’s Shared Lives scheme is a family-based support option. The council explains that it can support adults with a learning disability and/or autism aged 16+ through long-term placements, day support and overnight respite.
This is a very different model from extra care. Rather than moving into an apartment scheme, the person is supported through a Shared Lives carer’s home and community life. For some people that is a much better fit.
How to choose between the options
- Extra care housing: often best for older adults who want their own front door with care close by
- Oxford Road / supported housing: useful where a person wants an adapted tenancy with support and a safer environment
- Shared Lives: often a better fit where a family-based, relationship-led model or respite is needed
- Care home: may still be the best option where nursing needs, supervision or complexity are too high for the alternatives
Adult Social Care can talk through the options and, where relevant, welfare rights can help people understand the financial implications.
Useful Sandwell links
- Choices if you cannot live at home
- Extra care housing
- Extra care housing schemes in Sandwell
- Willow Gardens
- Oxford Road supported housing
- About Sandwell Shared Lives Scheme
- Contact Shared Lives
