A multi-million pound investment is being made into transforming the former site of a pub in Bloxwich, West Midlands into a supported living service.

The SEP Properties development, which will include nine apartments for people with learning disabilities, will be managed by social care landlord Inclusion Housing and run by ECHO Supported Living Services.

Sharena Record, ECHO’s operations director, said: “This latest development by ECHO in the Midlands, working with our partners SEP Properties and Inclusion Housing, will provide a much-needed facility in the heart of the community that will allow people, who need the care and support we provide, to stay in their local area.

“We have the full support of local commissioners to create a service that will support the personalised needs of residents to enable them to lead independent, fulfilling lives becoming an active part of their community.

“Our ethos is to encourage people to take control of their lives and believe in their own potential with the aim of creating positive outcomes for all our service users.

“We will start to recruit local people to fill the many roles needed to support the new development this coming autumn. 

“There will be a comprehensive training programme for new staff to ensure they have the skills necessary to provide the personalised care that we specialise in at ECHO.”

Pal Singh, SEP Properties managing director, said: “We have owned this former pub site for several years, and are thrilled that it is now being developed into high-quality and spacious homes for people who deserve to have a safe and comfortable place of their own. It is important that we help to support vulnerable members of our community and enable them to live as independently as possible. We are very pleased to be working with ECHO, who put their service users at the centre of everything they do.”