Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has opened Voyage Care’s supported living facility in Hindhead, Surrey.

The MP for South West Surrey was given a tour of the new accessible self-contained apartments that will provide much needed specialist supported living accommodation for young adults with complex needs who are ready to take the next step to independence.

Hunt said: “It was a pleasure to open Acorn House in Hindhead and meet such lovely residents, family and staff. I could tell that the team at Voyage Care is a truly values driven organisation – full of positivity and enthusiasm for what they do.  I enjoyed some very interesting and thought-provoking conversations during my visit and have no doubt this wonderful new facility will transform the lives of the residents.”

Hunt met with people supported by Voyage Care and their families to discuss what improvements could be implemented in social care to enable them to live more independent lives. He also spoke with Voyage Care colleagues about solutions they are advocating to address key issues in the adult social care sector.

Andrew Cannon, chief executive officer at Voyage Care, said: “We were delighted to welcome Jeremy Hunt to celebrate the opening of Acorn House.  Everything we do at Voyage Care takes us closer to our purpose of delivering great care and support. Our investment in Acorn House and the support provided by our wonderful colleagues will enable 10 young local adults take the next step to independence and we look forward to seeing them thrive in their own homes.

“Enabling access to high quality specialist care and support is fundamental to the lives of those we support and also helps to reduce the systemwide pressure on wider public services, such as the NHS, housing and other social care services. At Voyage Care we want to raise awareness of the issues that exist within social care. Among our ideas for improvements in the sector is calling for the government to introduce a new Commissioner for Adult Social Care with a legal mandate to promote and protect the rights of those relying on the adult social care system.”  

Voyage Care is a specialist provider for people with learning disabilities, autism, brain injuries and complex needs, supporting 3,500 people across the UK. It employs more than 11,000 staff members to enable people to lead more independent and fulfilled lives.

For more information on Voyage Care, visit the website: www.voyagecare.com