Championing dignity in later life: a visit to Oakwood Flats

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting Oakwood Flats in Haywards Heath, where I joined residents and staff for their regular coffee morning, hosted by Sussex Housing and Care. It was a warm, welcoming gathering — the kind that reminds you how vital community is, especially as we grow older.

Sussex Housing and Care is a not-for-profit organisation providing affordable, high-quality housing and care services for older people across Sussex. I was delighted to meet their Chief Executive, Tracy Evans, and Oakwood Flats’ dedicated scheme manager, Hannah Foster, as well as many of the wonderful residents who call Oakwood home.

Over tea and conversation, we discussed everything from local potholes to the rising cost of living, and the future of our town centres in Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill. But perhaps most poignantly, we spoke about elderly social care — a subject that touches so many lives and yet is so often overlooked.

It was clear from our conversation that while the desire to help people live with dignity is strong, the system itself is failing to provide the support people need — particularly when it comes to respite and rehabilitation care. This needs to change. If we want to bring down NHS waiting lists, improve care quality, and help people live longer, healthier lives, we must address the pressures on the system at both the front door and the back door.

I also heard about the consequences of the government’s decision to increase National Insurance Contributions. For Sussex Housing and Care, this has meant an extra £100,000 a year in staffing costs. That’s money they would much rather be investing into improving their services — repairing homes, recruiting more staff, and enhancing the day-to-day lives of their residents. Instead, organisations like this are bearing the brunt of decisions made without consideration for the real-life impact on care providers and those they serve. Mine and my colleagues’ attempts to exempt such service providers from these NIC rises has fallen on deaf ears amongst the government.

In spite of these challenges, the commitment and compassion shown by the Oakwood Flats team is remarkable. They embody the values of dignity, respect, and community. They are doing everything they can to ensure older people in Mid Sussex feel supported and valued.

We must continue to champion organisations like Sussex Housing and Care and fight for a fairer, more sustainable system of social care. Because every person in our community deserves the chance to grow older with dignity, independence, and peace of mind.