About Us Rockdale Housing Association was set up over 50 years ago with the aim of providing housing and care for older people in Sevenoaks. It was largely the result of the determination of one woman – Miss Beatrice Wilson – a gifted physiotherapist with a vision to improve the quality of older people’s lives in the town.

Born in 1897, she trained as a physiotherapist at Guy’s Hospital, showing her commitment to Sevenoaks by opening the town’s first physiotherapy centre in South Park in 1937. In 1948 she realised her ambition of improving the care of older people in the town by setting up Rockdale Housing Association, and opened Rockdale House, a residential home, in 1953.

Today, Rockdale offers 123 fully self-contained apartments for older people to rent and a further 28 leasehold apartments in Sevenoaks, and 14 apartments to rent in Tunbridge Wells. Rockdale House has been extended and improved and now provides residential care for up to 32 older people.

Constitution Rockdale Housing Association is registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act on charitable model rules. It is also registered with the Housing Corporation and is a member of the National Housing Federation.

The Association is ultimately controlled by the Management Committee, members of which are volunteers, elected annually by the shareholding members of the Association. The Management Committee fixes the Association’s policies, decides its future direction, and monitors its work.

Click here for Chairmans' Report 2007

Click  here for Director's Report 2007

The Director is responsible for the overall management of the Association, for finance, personnel and development and is supported by four senior staff:

• The Home Manager, Gilli Crick, who runs Rockdale House;
• The Housing Manager, Jane Vaughan, who is responsible for the support and other services provided to the apartments;
• The Central Services Manager, Pat Townend who has overall responsibility for the maintenance of the Association’s properties;
• The Personnel Officer, Jay Drake, who has responsibility for Personnel matters.

Mission and Objectives
Rockdale's mission is to provide innovative and flexible housing and other help for older people which they can afford, and which will enable them to maintain or improve their quality of life. Our objectives are:

1. To provide good quality, affordable, well managed homes for older people, and to ensure that the services provided meet the changing needs of existing and prospective residents. To meet this objective we will:

• consult with residents, tenants and leaseholders on the management of their homes and the services provided;
• regularly monitor, evaluate and strive to improve services;
• ensure an efficient and cost effective repair service, responsive to residents’ needs, and make adequate provision for planned maintenance and improvements;
• ensure affordability by regularly comparing charges with those of similar organisations, and offering advice on welfare benefits;
• be aware of the extent and nature of the demand for supported housing for older people in the locality;
• develop policies and procedures that ensure that Rockdale's housing is allocated to those in the greatest need.

2. To promote Rockdale House as a model of good residential care. To meet this objective, we will:

• lead rather than follow recommendations on good practice;
• recognise that the quality of residential care is dependent on the quality of the staff providing it, ensure adequate staffing levels, and place a high priority on the recruitment, training and retention of staff;
• widely publicise Rockdale House.

3. To contribute to the development of services in the community to meet the needs of frail older people. To meet this objective, we will:

• establish and maintain relationships with other organisations working with older people;
• contribute to campaigns for changes in legislation and funding arrangements to benefit older people;
• develop direct services to the community which meet perceived needs.

4. To take advantage of any development opportunities that are presented to the Association. To meet this objective, we will:

• ensure that best use is made of all land in Rockdale's ownership;
• encourage development opportunities by widely publicising Rockdale's work;
• engage appropriately qualified consultants at an early stage to ensure a professional response to any development opportunity that may arise.

Jill Griffiths Director