In late 2001 The Oxfordshire Care Partnership (OCP), a joint venture company established by bpha and partners The Orders of St. John Care Trust (OSJCT), entered a prestigious 25-year contract with Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) to provide housing and care for older people across the County.

The contract entailed the transfer of 19 care homes, providing nearly 800 residential care bed spaces, and around 750 management, care and domestic staff. Of the 19 homes only nine meet the National Minimum Standards for Care Homes. The remaining ten homes are intended for replacement.

bpha has specific responsibilities under the terms of the contract, over and above being joint owner of OCP. bpha's partner, OSJCT will be provide the care and personal services to the residents of the homes.

bpha's primary responsibility will be to re-provide the failing homes in accordance with a re-provisioning programme to be agreed with the County Council. This ambitious programme will provide up to eight new homes providing accommodation for around 480 older people and for a range of care needs, including very sheltered housing, nursing, and dementia, over the next four years.

Work has finished on Westgate House in Wallingford. The 60-bed care home and day care centre started in July 2002 and was built on the site of the former Wallingford School, which has been leased to OCP for 60 years by OCC.

Further homes are earmarked for Banbury, Didcot and Oxford on land to be provided by OCC.

In addition bpha will be acquiring 60-year leases on seven of the homes that meet the National Standards, paying OCC a lease premium over two financial years. These homes will be leased back to OCP to enable it to run the service.

Funding for bpha's work, currently estimated at around £30m, is being provided by a syndicate of blue-chip institutions (Royal Bank of Scotland, Bank of Scotland, Abbey National, Barclays and Nationwide Building Society) as part of a new £100m facility agreed in July 2001.

Speaking at the foundation laying ceremony to mark commencement of Westgate House, bpha Chairman Roger Whitbread said:

"The partnership with OSJCT is a model for success. We are able to concentrate our respective expertise for the benefit of older people of Oxfordshire who need this service".

"We believe that this building will become a, leader in design to meet the national standards for care homes throughout the United Kingdom. This is a proud concept and standard for us to maintain" he added.