LINks - the Housing LIN's essential weekly bulletin (w/c 2 Nov)
Welcome to LINks, the weekly e-bulletin from the Housing LIN (Learning and Improvement Network) where we put a selection of latest information, resources and events under the spotlight. In this week's issue, we would like to draw your attention to the following:
Inspirational Achievement
Our latest 'Inspirational Achievements' puts the spotlight on Pencric, an award winning extra care housing scheme designed by Pozzoni Architects. This 82 unit scheme in Penkridge, South Staffordshire, is the latest flagship development from Housing Plus.
Find out more at: http://www.housinglin.org.uk/Topics/Inspirational-Achievements/pencric-extra-care-scheme/ (opens new window)
New Housing LIN Blog - Putting public health, planning and housing on national and local agendas
Housing has always been a central public health issue and in this illuminating blog for the Housing LIN, Professor John R Ashton, President of the Faculty of Public Health of the UK Medical Royal Colleges, makes the connection between housing, planning and public health.
Read at: http://www.housinglin.org.uk/Topics/type/resource/?coid=9858&msg=0 (opens new window)
New HCA blog - A place to call home
In this blog for the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), Jeremy Porteus (chair of the HCA's Vulnerable and OIder People's Group) writes, it's easy to take having a safe roof over our heads for granted; it's a basic human need after all. But for increasing numbers of people, this can be the difference between life and death.
Read at: https://homesandcommunities.blog.gov.uk/2015/11/02/a-place-to-call-home/ (opens new window)
Bill passes through the House
MPs have voted through the Housing and Planning Bill at its second reading in the House of Commons this week and it will now pass to the committee stage for discussion of amendments to the legislation. A quick summary can be found at:
And interestingly, some commentators have calculated that some pensioners will pay more to stay in social housing under the proposals. Find out more at:
The ARCO Consumer Code
ARCO (the Associated Retirement Community Operators) has launched a new Consumer Code this week which provides a benchmark for good practice within the housing-with-care sector. The Code applies specifically to properties for rent or purchase in retirement communities. These developments go beyond housing provision and include additional services such as dining and leisure activities alongside optional care services.
To view, go to:
Better Use of Care at Home guide
This is one of a series of guides produced by NHS England with partners, including the UKHCA and the Housing LIN, providing practical tips and case studies to support health and care systems. It provides case studies, ideas and practical tips to commissioners, health professionals and care providers on how to improve the relationships, processes and use of homecare and housing support to help people home from hospital.
Download the guides from:
Law Commission consultation on the use of event fees in residential leases
The Law Commission in England and Wales are having a closer look at event fees which are used by many housing-with-care operators to fund developments, reduce service charges or provide certainty to residents. They are calling for a stronger and clearer legal framework around event fees so that there is greater certainty for operators and transparency for residents.
More at:
The Law Commission's consultation on mental capacity and deprivation of liberty
This consultation came to an end on Monday this week. The Housing LIN has been active in encouraging as many housing sector organisations as possible to respond. We also sent our own response which addresses some of the questions posed by the Law Commission itself and Sue Garwood in her Key Questions for Housing Providers.
Please see the link below:
The consultation may be over but the relevance to the housing sector of mental capacity and deprivation of liberty remain as important as ever. For more, go to: http://www.housinglin.org.uk/Topics/browse/HousingandDementia/Legislation/ (opens new window)
Online survey re housing for working age disabled people
The Institute of Public Care (IPC) is working with the Papworth Trust and Habinteg to improve the knowledge base for the provision of housing suitable for disabled people, including through the provision of more, and well-presented, information. For use by practitioners, including those concerned with social and private development schemes, and local authority planners, this is part of a wider project to improve the quality and volume of accessible housing in England.
Please spend 10-15 minutes completing this survey to help us obtain a view on what data is important and critical to support the business case for the development of housing for disabled people, and how this might best be accessed and presented via an online tool.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/G9PFJTX (opens new window)
Telecare News Headlines
This week's news headlines from the Telecare LIN can be downloaded in two formats (doc; pdf) at:
- Telecare News Headlines: 5 November 2015 (doc - 120Kb) (opens new window)
- Telecare News Headlines: 5 November 2015 (pdf - 378Kb) (opens new window)
Forthcoming Housing LIN events/meetings
Please note that we are currently planning a series of free regional events and meetings, as follows:
- North East Housing LIN annual conference on, Wednesday11 November in Durham (Last call: due to the late demand, we have added a further 30 places!)
- Eastern Housing LIN regional meeting on, Thursday 12 November in Chelmsford
- London Housing LIN regional meeting on, Monday 16 November in Morden
- London Housing LIN/Design Council CABE event on, Friday 4 December in Islington
More information and registrations to attend these events can be found at:
http://www.housinglin.org.uk/Events/ForthcomingEvents/ (opens new window)
If you are not already registered to receive notifications about our events and meetings in your region, create your own Housing LIN account by logging at:
www.housinglin.org.uk/useraccount/ (opens new window)
Other Events (supported by the Housing LIN)
Housing, support and care via a skilled workforce; Skills for Care and Sitra
Skills for Care, in partnership with Sitra, are holding 6 free events across England between October 2015 and January 2016 aimed at Housing with Care and Support employers. These workshops will focus on the critical role of housing in promoting wellbeing and how this can be delivered via a well trained workforce.
You can book on to one of these events at: http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Get-involved/Events/Event-booking-forms/Integration-with-housing-Events.aspx?securitytoken=iPzgzmUY8Rkp%2bY82X5wEfk9QERP0%2fYYBpZfJ5A7iw%2bRFajX6BRFU%2bkCulcq7u1qKGzGVAxhQBo48NKDUo1ZTeQ%3d%3d (opens new window)
For more information go to the Sitra website:
http://www.sitra.org/home/ (opens new window)
Stay networked with the Housing LIN for latest news, views and resources on housing with care matters.