Link to about us section link to advice and information link to news section link to publications section link to site map
link to handyperson section link to healthy homes healthier lives section link to housing action section link to housing options section Link to learning Disabilities web pages
link to what's new section link to facts and figures section link to events section link to policy information link to newsletter section link to events section link to facts and figures section


 

NEWS AND POLICY UPDATE:

Autumn 2004

Information for the providers and commissioners of housing related services for older and disabled people

HOUSING

  • 2004 SPENDING REVIEW
    As organisations assess the government's spending plans for 2004-7, key messages around housing, health and social care have emerged. Health is the main 'winner' with an increase of 7% above inflation year on year, and housing has also gained with a 4.1% rise to £7.2bn by 07-08. However, Social Services bodies have expressed concern about the implications of their allocation of a 2.7% rise for adult social care given the ongoing increase in demand as the population ages. Changes in Community Renewal include £90m for a new Invest to Save - Inclusive Communities Fund, £525m a year for Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, pooling existing funding to create a single 'Safer and Stronger Communities' fund. www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/spending_review/spend_index.cfm

  • PROPOSALS TO MERGE REGIONAL HOUSING BOARDS AND PLANNING BODIES
    Regional Housing Boards may have a short life. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has issued a consultation paper ('Housing and Planning in the Regions', deadline 30/11/04) on the proposal to merge Regional Housing Boards and Regional Planning Bodies. Given the minimal reference to the housing needs of older people in many RHB Strategies, there are even greater concerns about how older people would fare under such an arrangement. www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_housing/documents/
    page/odpm_house_030962.hcsp

  • SUPPORTING PEOPLE BUDGET CUT
    There is to be a real terms cut of 7% to the Supporting People budget over the next 3 years. Allocation in 05-6, 06-7 & 07-8 will be £1.72b, down on the £1.8b reached in 2003-4. Authorities deemed to be overspending, particularly where Supporting People is funding high care needs that ODPM says should be met by social services, could have their individual budgets cut by as much as 7.5% in the first year. It is understood that the level of the reduction has been reduced due to a contribution to the budget by Dept of Health (DH). Details of local distribution are awaited.

  • SURVEY OF ENGLISH HOUSING (SHE) 03-04
    The provisional SEH results make interesting reading. Owner occupation continues to increase (national average now 71%, social rented 19%, private rented 10%). Overall the results indicate that whilst there is often a substantial difference between inner London housing and the remainder of England, elsewhere the differences between areas and regions are relatively slight. (www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_housing/documents/
    page/odpm_house_030713.pdf    )

    Retired Households
    National average:
    28%
    Highest: Devon and Merseyside
    (34%)
    Lowest: Inner London
    (19%)
    Household type
    One person
    (28%)
    Couple
    (37%)
    Two parent family
    (22%)
    One parent family
    (7%)
    Household income
    Under £15,000
    (41%)
    Over £35,000
    (23%)

  • ODPM SELECT COMMITTEE CALLS FOR HOME IMPROVEMENT AGENCY NATIONAL COVERAGE
    The ODPM select committee looking at Supporting People has called for an increase in the number of home improvement agencies in order to achieve 100% coverage by 2006.

  • SUPPORTED HOUSING - DEVELOPMENT HITS A RECORD LOW
    Uncertainty about Supporting People revenue funding is being blamed for the falling number of new supported housing schemes. ODPM and the Housing Corporation are looking at how the problem can be tackled, possibly through a ‘semi-separately’ identified pot for new development. However, the Department remains clear that it is a local responsibility to allocate funds to meet locally identified priority needs, including any need for new schemes.

  • HOUSING BILL PROGRESS
    The Bill has reached Lords Committee stage with one of its most contentious proposals still intact - the payment of social housing grant to private sector developers. In terms of private sector housing there have been no major changes to Part 1 (replaces existing housing fitness standard with Housing Health and Safety Rating System). Lord Harris has tabled an amendment from the Association of London Government which proposes the retaining of local authorities’ powers to enforce repairs.

  • HOME OWNERSHIP SOLUTIONS FOR LOW DEMAND AREAS - NEW STUDY
    Lack of access to mortgages is not affecting demand for housing in the nine market renewal pathfinders according to research jointly commissioned by ODPM and Council of Mortgage Lenders. It also concludes that demolition and refurbishment are the main solutions to low demand, rather than new financial products. This accords with one of the demands of the Northern Way report, which called for a large increase in housing demolitions. www.odpm.gov.uk Sustainable Communities: Research Summary 3

  • DISABLED HOUSING REGISTER
    Ability Housing Association have announced that their trial of a web based disabled housing register in Reading has saved over £200,000 in adaptation expenditure, support costs and delays in hospital discharge in its first year. See www.disability-housing-register.co.uk

  • LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION - END TO HOUSING EXECUTIVE AND STAFF
    the LGA’s housing programme manager is not being replaced after the departure of David Thompson. This follows on from the scrapping of the Housing Executive committee and the incorporation of housing into the brief of the environment board, one of six new boards replacing the previous 19 policy executives.

  • EXTRA CARE HOUSING
    The latest bidding round for DH funding for extra care housing schemes has started. DH has announced a £60m extension to the fund for 2006-8. www.changeagentteam.org.uk/housing.

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE NEWS

  • GREEN PAPER ON THE FUTURE OF ADULT SOCIAL CARE
    Community Care Minister Stephen Ladyman has announced that he will publish a "really radical" Green Paper setting out the government’s vision for the future of adult social care. However, there are concerns that this will now be delayed until after the election.

  • REVISED PUBLIC SERVICE AGREEMENT (PST) TARGETS LINKED TO JULY SPENDING REVIEW
    In return for funding from the Treasury set out in the July spending review, each government department agrees targets (PSAs). These have a significant influence on local spending priorities. Compared with those for children, there are few PSAs for older people, but one of note is the DH target: ‘Improve the quality of life and independence of vulnerable older people by supporting them to live in their own home where possible’.The target set for social services is for an increase (to 34%) in those supported intensively to live at home compared with those in residential care, plus a 1% increase in general home care support. This is low given the 4% growth in the number of people over 75 anticipated over the same period.

  • MORE INTENSIVE HOME CARE PACKAGES, BUT LESS OLDER PEOPLE HELPED TO LIVE AT HOME
    The Commission for Social Care Inspection has identified a fall in the overall number of older people being helped to live at home by social services, despite a steady increase in the proportion of those receiving intensive care at home packages rather than going into residential care. (www.csci.org.uk)

  • REDUCTION IN CARE HOME PLACES AND FALLING DEMAND
    During 2003-4 there was a fall of 9,600 care home places (down to 486,000). However, occupancy remained at 92% because of a simultaneous fall in demand, according to new figures from analysts Laing and Buisson. (www.laingbuisson.co.uk/longtermcare.htm)

  • JOSEPH ROWNTREE PREDICT NEED FOR LARGE RISE IN SPENDING ON LONG TERM CARE
    New research into the future cost of long term care for older people concludes that there will have to be a quadrupleing of expenditure in real terms by the middle of the century. New government population projections anticipate the number of over 85s rising by 255% to 4m by 2051. The research estimates that places in residential care, nursing homes and hospitals will have to rise by 150% to 1.3m. (www.jrf.org.uk ‘The Future of Long Term Care’)

  • GUIDE TO HOSPITAL DISCHARGE - NURSES COULD TAKE GREATER ROLE IN DISCHARGE
    Anyone in the housing sector working to improve discharge from hospital may find this new ‘toolkit’ of interest in understanding the perspective of the hospital. The toolkit includes checklists which it might be possible to amend to include local housing related home from hospital service options. www.dh.gov.uk Title: ‘Achieving timely simple dischrge from hospital: A toolkit’

  • IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH - THE NHS IMPROVEMENT PLAN ANNOUNCED
    New plans for the future of the NHS aim to change it from a sickness service to one which promotes good health. Priorities in the NHS Improvement Plan (www.dh.gov.uk/publications) include faster access to services, better quality of care, improved quality of life for those with long term conditions and promotion of healthy living. Prevention and reduction of health inequalities also feature.

MONEY

  • DEPARTMENT FOR WORKS AND PENSIONS (DWP) ANNOUNCES ‘LINK-AGE’ PLANS
    Integrating access to all services for older people was piloted by DH under Care Direct and was then taken on by DWP as the Third Age Service. More detailed proposals for what is now called Link-Age have been published (consultation deadline 26/11/04). Concerns have been expressed about the focus shifting to financial information and services and the lack of reference to housing advice and information. See consultation report via www.dwp.gov.uk

  • WINTER FUEL PAYMENTS AND NEW £100 PAYMENT- REMINDER FOR OLDER PEOPLE
    DWP is reminding pensioners to claim their £200 winter fuel payment if they have not received one before. This year, people over 70 will get a one-off payment of £100 and those over 80 a further £100 on top of this. Those who received payment last year should receive their money before Christmas without any further action. Others need to make a claim asap (deadline 30/3/05). Eligibility and other details on www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/winterfuel. Helpline 08459 151515.

  • HOME OFFICE FUNDS FOR VOLUNTARY SECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE
    The ChangeUp framework aims to “build the skills, knowledge, structures and resources of the voluntary sector” in order to better enable voluntary groups to deliver services and focus on outcomes. £72m is promised over the next 2 years. Groups who campaign or work on policy changes to tackle the root causes of disadvantage have expressed concern that their work will not be included and there have been calls for ChangeUp to encompass the full range of voluntary sector work. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs3/changeup_exec_sum.pdf

NEWS

  • NEW EMPLOYMENT LAW ON RESOLVING DISPUTES COMES INTO FORCE
    New minimum disciplinary and grievance procedures come into force on 1/10/04. These aim to reduce recourse to employment tribunals. Under the Employment Act (Dispute Regulations) 2004 (www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2004/20041861htm) all employers have to follow a set procedure when dealing with disciplinary and dismissal actions. Acas offer a free info/advice service (08457 474747) and publish a code of practice (www.acas.org.uk/publications/pdf/CP01.2pdf).

  • 1995 DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION ACT - 1ST OCTOBER DEADLINE
    Employers and those providing services to the public must make ‘reasonable’ adjustments to their premises to overcome physical barriers to access by 1st October. The statutory code of practice is available on the Disability Rights Commission website (www.drc-gb.org).

  • LANDMARK JUDGEMENT HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR VOLUNTARY SECTOR FUNDING
    The long term campaign to ensure that the voluntary sector is treated on equal terms when councils are looking to make cuts in budgets has received a boost. The High Court has ruled that Leicester City Council should have consulted widely before making a £1.6m cut to voluntary sector groups. NCVO is hopeful that local Compact agreements will be in place everywhere by next April.

    This News and Policy Update is produced by:
    Care & Repair England 3rd Floor, Bridgford House, Pavilion Road, West Bridgford NOTTINGHAM NG2 5GJ Tel: 0115 9821527 Fax:0115 9821529
    E.mail:info@careandrepair-england.org.uk
    www.careandrepair-england.org.uk

    Every effort has been made to ensure the information above is correct. However, Care & Repair England cannot accept any responsibility for errors and omissions.

    Previous Newsletters
    • The Care & Repair England News and Policy Update (Summer 2004 edition) can be viewed here.

    • The Care & Repair England News and Policy Update (Spring 2004 edition) can be viewed here.

    • The Care & Repair England News and Policy Update (Winter 2003/04 edition) can be viewed here.

    • The Care & Repair England News and Policy Update (Winter 2002/03 edition) can be viewed here.

    • The Care & Repair England News and Policy Update briefing paper (Spring 2003 edition) can be viewed here.