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NEWS AND POLICY UPDATE:

Winter 2004/2005

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

HOUSING

  • LATEST SURVEY OF ENGLISH HOUSING REVEALS HIGH LEVEL OF NEED FOR ADAPTED HOMES
    There were 1.4 million individuals with a medical condition or disability requiring specially adapted accommodation in 2002-3 and 26% of these people were living in accommodation which was not suited to their needs (351,000 people). Elderly people (over 75 yrs) were more likely to live in suitably adapted housing with 20% not suitably housed, whilst young people (under 16 yrs) were the least likely with 50% not suitably housed. Source: Survey of English Housing 2003/4. www.odpm.gov.uk/seh

  • NEW GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE ON DELIVERING ADAPTATIONS
    'Delivering housing adaptations for disabled people: A good practice guide' is now available from ODPM. This is the final version of the comprehensive guide, following on from the draft published earlier in the year. It sets out LA statutory duties in relation to their adaptations service and draws on identified good practice from local authorities from first contact to the completion of the adaptation. Includes a checklist of the key features of an effective housing adaptations service. www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_control/documents/contentservertemplate/
    odpm_index.hcst?n=3915&l=2    . Order via E-mail: odpm@twoten.press.net or Tel: 0870 1226 236

  • HOME OWNERS GET ONLY 6% OF THE GOVERNMENTS' HOUSING HELP
    Help with housing costs has increased for private and social housing tenants but fallen dramatically for home-owners since the 1990's, despite a significant rise in home ownership amongst lower income groups (half of poor households are home owners). The new edition of the UK Housing Review 2004-5 reveals a 90% reduction in help for home owners since 1990/1 - down from £9.3b to just £922m in 2002/3. Support for the social rented sector rose from £6.3b to £10.8b over the same period. Source: UK Housing Review 04/5,

    Published by Chartered Institute of Housing and Council of Mortgage Lenders £40 pubs@cih.org.uk

  • HOUSING BILL RECEIVES ROYAL ASSENT
    Last minute changes to the Housing Bill helped to smooth its final passage through the Lords. Power for the Secretary of State to drop the controversial home information or 'sellers' pack was added and the earliest that the pack would be introduced would be 2007 following a trial run in 2006. The power to pay social housing grant to private developers remained in the Bill, though a legal challenge is being considered by the National Housing Federation. Key aspects of the new act that will impact on private sector housing are the introduction of the Health and Safety Rating System and greater controls on housing in multiple occupation.

  • NEW STATUTORY GUIDANCE ON ALLOCATION OF ADAPTED HOMES FOR DISABLED PEOPLE
    Whilst the amendment to the Housing Bill was rejected, it has been agreed that statutory guidance will be issued which instructs councils to make a register of any empty adapted properties and reserves adapted properties for disabled people, rather than rip out adaptations and allocate the homes to anyone on the waiting list. No timetable has been set for issuing this guidance as yet.

  • PROBLEMS WITH CHOICE BASED LETTINGS
    An ODPM advisory group is to examine whether choice-based letting schemes are leading to racial segregation. Problems with choice based lettings have also been identified by the housing options services that are part of Care & Repair England's Should I Stay or Should I Go? programme. Choice based lettings can disadvantage the older and disabled people that the schemes are advising, and tend to favour more active, capable individuals who are better able to 'chase up' the housing on offer where an advertising based system is used.

  • EXTRA CARE HOUSING
    Over 140 applications have been submitted in the latest bidding round for DH funding for extra care housing schemes. Value of the bids is over £400m for the available £40.3m. DH is expected to announce its decision in February 05. www.changeagentteam.org.uk/housing

  • 'COMING OF AGE' NEW RESEARCH ON OLDER HOMELESS PEOPLE
    This research examines the complex reasons for homelessness in later life and the limitations of existing services. It concludes that older homeless people tend to fall between gaps in strategies - older people's services tend to take no account of older homelessness whilst homelessness strategies tend to focus on younger people. Whilst aimed primarily at Supporting People commissioners, the report is a useful reminder about this neglected issue for all involved in working with older people. www.homeless.org.uk

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE NEWS

  • PUBLIC HEALTH WHITE PAPER - 'CHOOSING HEALTH'
    The focus of this high profile white paper is very much on changing the behaviour of the individual - as reflected in its subtitle, 'Making healthy choices easier'. There is emphasis on the current headline issues - smoking, obesity, drinking and sexual health. Whilst there is limited specific reference to a link between housing and poor health, tackling health inequalities is highlighted as crucial and revised guidance on health and neighbourhood renewal is promised in early 2005. An announcement about funding for 'Spearhead' PCTs to tackle health inequalities in the 88 most deprived areas has also been made (DH News Release 2004/0250) www.dh.gov.uk

  • HEALTH AND HOUSING: GOOD PRACTICE BRIEFING No 29
    Drawing on examples of good practice, this new Briefing covers a range of areas including housing conditions and health inequalities, access, choice, safety, security, well being and the scope for joint planning and action by housing, health and social services. Available from Chartered Institute of Housing. £10. email order pubs@cih.org/publications

  • LEAVING HOSPITAL - THE PRICE OF DELAYS
    This report from the Commission for Social Care Inspection looks at the impact of delayed discharge rules on discharging older people from hospital. Whilst there are examples of good practice, in some areas there were concerns about increasing admissions to care homes and in some places rates of readmission to hospital gave rise to fears about the adequacy of support packages. www.csci.org.uk

  • BETTER HEALTH IN OLD AGE
    It is three years since the launch of the National Service Framework for Older People, which set out eight standards for better, fairer and more integrated health and social care services for older people alongside 'milestones' to measure progress. A review of progress has been published ('Better Health in Old Age') which concludes that overall health in old age is improving and looks set to continue to improve. www.dh.gov.uk/publications

  • NEW PREVENTION TECHNOLOGIES GRANT
    In the July spending review it was announced that £80m was being allocated to social services to extend the application of new assistive home technologies that help to reduce admissions to hospital and residential care. Money will be available from 2006-8 and the DH is working with key stakeholders to plan the use of the money via a 'Policy Collaborative'. As the aim will be to reach older people across tenures it may be worth local providers thinking ahead about this issue.

MONEY

  • OLDER PEOPLE THE LEAST LIKELY TO CONSIDER USE OF LOANS TO FUND REPAIRS TO HOME
    The Survey of English Housing 2003/4 (SEH) has revealed that people over 70yrs are the least likely to consider taking out a loan from a commercial lender to pay for major repairs to their home. Only 19% said they would consider such a loan (compared with 47% for all ages), whilst 40% would consider a loan from the council (compared with 60% for all ages). The main reason older people gave for not wanting a loan was not wanting to get into debt (57%). Only 12% of people over 70 said they would try to get a grant from the council. Source SEH Tables A1/37-39 www.odpm.gov.uk/seh

  • BIG LOTTERY FUND - BIG FUSS
    The announcement by the Big Lottery Fund of its key themes (community learning, community safety and promoting well being) before the end of the official consultation period has given rise to concern that money from the fund will increasingly be spent on government priority areas (education, law and order and health). This development, alongside the ending of the open grants programme that existed under the Community Fund, has also fuelled fears that front line voluntary organisations which are not the popular causes could lose out www.biglottery.org.uk

  • FUNDING FROM CENTRAL GOVERNMENT FOR VOLUNTARY SECTOR REACHES NEW HIGH
    A new report from the Home Office reveals that government funding for voluntary and community organisations has increased by 48% between 1999/00 and 2001/2 - up from £2.2b to £3.30b. 'Central Government Funding of Voluntary and Community Organisations' is available from: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/comrace/active/funding/index.html

NEWS

  • QUEEN'S SPEECH
    Crime reduction and security were the dominant theme of the speech, but it was confirmed that the Charities Bill will be included in the next parliamentary session. Amongst the other 31 bills announced were the National Lottery Bill to confirm the Big Lottery plus a Disability Discrimination Bill.

  • FROM WELFARE TO WELL-BEING - PLANNING FOR AN AGEING SOCIETY
    The Joseph Rowntree Task Group on Housing, Money and Care for Older People has published its findings. It concludes that Britain is far from getting to grips with the implications of an ageing society, failing to value older people as an asset as some other European countries have done. It makes recommendations for action that is needed in 8 key areas, including the need for far broader housing and support options in mainstream and specialist housing. www.jrf.org.uk

  • OLDER PEOPLE INCLUDED ON SOCIAL EXCLUSION UNIT AGENDA
    The government's Social Exclusion Unit has announced a project to improve service delivery for excluded older people. This recognition by the unit that older people are often socially excluded has been widely welcomed as the unit's focus to date has been more on young people and families. The project is closely linked to the development of the government's Older People's Strategy and is working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on the Link-Age initiative. www.socialexclusion.gov.uk

  • FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT OLDER PEOPLE - USEFUL SUMMARY
    A useful summary of key statistics about older people has been produced by the government's National Statistics office. 'Focus on Older People' provides an interesting picture of the situation of people over 50 in Britain. www.statistics.gov.uk/focuson/olderpeople

  • THAT LITTLE BIT OF HELP
    Following on from the work of the Older People's Steering Group at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, research is being undertaken to identify models and examples of services that are highly valued by older people because they provide 'that little bit of help' which can be so critical to retaining independence. The innovative approach of the research has been to ask older people themselves, via letters and articles in local newspapers, to tell them about a service that they have found useful. Responses are being sifted and key models will be fully analysed and costed. It will be interesting to see if small repairs and adaptations services emerge as a priority.

    This News and Policy Update is produced by Care & Repair England
    (from 14/12/04) The Renewal Trust Business Centre, 3 Hawksworth Street, Nottingham, NG3 2EG
    Tel/ Fax: 0115 950 6500
    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.

    Care & Repair England is supported by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
    Care & Repair England is an Industrial and Provident Society with Charitable Status Reg 25121

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

    • 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.