About the Housing LIN

The Housing Learning and Improvement Network (LIN), formerly responsible for managing the Department of Health's (DH) Extra Care Housing capital programme, is the leading 'knowledge hub' for a growing network of housing, health and social care professionals in England involved in planning, commissioning, designing, funding, building and managing housing with care for older people.

We have a reputation as a 'trusted brand', strong links and record of involvement with government, the Homes and Communities Agency, major trade and professional bodies and key industry players across the public, private and voluntary sectors. Our aim is to:

• raise the profile about the housing and care needs and aspirations of older people
• act as a champion for housing with care organisations and, in particular, promoting innovations in Extra Care Housing
• offer unrivaled access to tools that support the way you improve existing housing and related care and support services for older people or deliver new ones
• help you to respond to, inform and influence policy and practice developments and what older people say about service quality
• provide you with an opportunity for effective learning through our national and regional networking activities, and
• enable you to benefit from the latest research, thinking and ideas from the field to help raise standards

Why get connected with the Housing LIN?

Under the leadership and experience of Jeremy Porteus, the Housing LIN offers independent expertise for staff at all levels and across housing, health, social care and related industries to:

• be inspired by new ideas and innovative approaches to the housing with care needs of an ageing population
• gain insight into business transformation and service improvements through informed shared learning, knowledge transfer and information exchange
• access intelligence that can accelerate the adoption of good practice, enhance market share, and/or aid strategic and operational delivery and investment decisions
• be involved in strengthening local and regional business-to-business relationships and opportunities for new business
• help inform new product development and market development
• make improvements in the quality of services that meet older people's expectations and requirements and service outcomes
• help identify new skills and explore techniques to overcome/resolve problems
• be in the right place to influence the right people in the housing with care sector
• be instrumental in celebrating your work and sharing the lessons with the Housing LIN membership via our online and regional professional networks

What does the Housing LIN offer?

The Housing LIN outstanding website offers a range of proven products that support our national and regional learning and improvement activities. Members enjoy:

• Publications: access to materials commissioned by the Housing LIN specifically to support action learning - e-bulletins, reports, factsheets, case studies, toolkits, technical briefs and viewpoints (sign up to get our e-bulletin, Housing with Care Matters)
• Online directories: information on all the DH funded Extra Care Housing schemes and access to wider intelligence on the supply of housing with care in your area
• Discussion boards: opportunities to discuss, post Q&As and social networking to help test out thinking, access information from other network members (register to participate in our online networks)
• Regional networking: free regional network and information exchange meetings in their area. These meet at least twice a year in each region and provide a platform to meet experts, tour latest schemes, capture latest policy and practice developments, and showcase local innovation (register to become a member in your region)
• Conferences and learning events: a series of conferences and seminars throughout the year to promote latest publications and disseminate key findings (see our website for forthcoming events)
• Research and evaluation: drawing on latest research by trade and professional bodies as well as academic institutions that improve the evidence base for extra care; and being the first to learn about the findings around the benefits of housing with care

Recent achievements

• Project management to the DH's extra care housing £227m capital fund and local implementation programmes with 83 councils with adult social care responsibility and their partners to deliver over 5,000 new units of accommodation
• Work with the DH, the Homes and Communities Agency and other potential funders to identify and lever in further capital investment and efficiencies into specialist housing for older people
• A comprehensive web resource: "The place to get all the information you need on housing with care"
• Publishing essential guidance to facilitate strategic planning and commissioning of housing with care
• Over 30 regional meetings, thematic seminars, workshops and events a year for Housing LIN members
• High level endorsements and sponsorship to sustain our activities and enable us to maintain a free service to our 5,700 members
• Links to other essential information sources and websites, including partners such as the Elderly Accommodation Counsel