HLINks: Keep up-to-date with sector news, including on COVID-19, new Housing LIN blog and much more
Networking, the new normal
"Professionals with better skills, better resources and an increased network are expected to be the ones who will more easily manage to transform the negative effects of the pandemic into new opportunities."
The Gulbenkian Foundation
In a short space of time, COVID-19 has transformed our individual and collective working and non-working lives. The Housing LIN and the information and advice we provide to aid your learning and improvement is essential for your post COVID-19 planning in these unprecedented times. To talk through how we can support your organisation operational and/or strategic plans, as outlined below.
Housing LIN Services
Did you know the Housing LIN has been working to support local authorities and their partners with the planning and delivery of a wider range of high quality housing for older and disabled people? For example, we have worked with the Greater Manchester Health & Social Care Partnership and the Local Government Association to develop a resource pack that is a tool to promote innovation, best practice and improve commissioners’ understanding of workable models of housing with care. The case study is published by the LGA’s care and health improvement programme.
The Housing LIN prides itself being the ‘go to’ network for everyone working across the housing, health and social care sectors. Our market insight and networked intelligence underpin our business services to ensure that our clients are at the forefront of contemporary practice. Contact us for support at: consultancy@housinglin.org.uk
Dying Matters Awareness Week
This week was Dying Matters Awareness. To coincide we featured our top tips COVID-19 practice briefings on End of Life Care (No2) and Bereavement (No4). These can be found on our Coronavirus Info Hub
We also promoted our dedicated topic page on End of Life Care.
New Housing LIN Products
This week, we published two new blogs:
Coronavirus: Opening doors in a different way
In this blog - originally published by Brunelcare on 17th April 2020 - Stuart Wright, Dementia Care Lead, Brunelcare discusses human rights amid the Coronavirus.
Face time counts: Building virtual communities
In this new guest blog for the Housing LIN, Suzanne Noble of Silver Sharers, discusses her experience of setting up a virtual community.
Coronavirus Update
On Monday 11th May the government issued its COVID-19 recovery plan – Our Plan to Rebuild – setting out more detail following Boris Johnson’s address to the nation on Sunday.
A selection of latest government advice guidelines and plans that are relevant for our sector include:
- Housing Secretary sets out plan to re-start housing market
- Updated Government advice on home moving during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
- Updated Coronavirus (COVID-19): hospital discharge service requirements
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Planning update
- Remediation and COVID-19: Building Safety update
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for local government
In addition, the Regulator of Social Housing has published results of their survey of registered providers to review how they are coping with the impact of COVID-19.
And remember you can check out all key documents by housing, health and social care on our Coronavirus Info Hub as well as all our practice briefings and signposting to other useful information and websites.
Specific advice guidelines in Scotland and Wales can be found in the relevant sections further down.
Other News from the Sector
Housing, Community, Disability, and Ageing
- Legal & General podcasts - what it means to retire in today’s world
- APPG on Social Integration - Social connection in the COVID-19 crisis
- HDRC webinar: The slide shows from the webinar, a recording of the Q&A session at the end and additional related resources from ‘Responding to walking with purpose and distress in extra care housing’ can now be found on the HDRC website, as well as a blog about the Webinar.
- Age UK - Older people and domestic abuse during the coronavirus crisis
Opinion pieces and blogs:
- The Guardian - When can disabled people leave their homes? It feels like we have been forgotten – Opinion piece by Frances Ryan
- Bristol Housing Festival - There Really Is Such A Thing As Society - Let's Make It Better
Dementia
- International Long-Term Care Policy Network - Report: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people living with dementia in UK
- scie - Care in the last days of life with dementia
Opinion pieces and blogs:
- Alzheimer’s Society – Blog - Coronavirus and funerals: How to adapt a service and support people affected by dementia
Design and Technology
- ADASS - Releasing the Power of Personalisation - Using technology to improve the personalisation of adult social care
- Public - TechForce19 Winners: Delivering Remote Care
- RIBA Journal - Gira unveils latest intuitive controls for smart homes
Opinion pieces and blogs:
Health and care
- ADASS Coronavirus Budget Survey 2020. The purpose of the survey is to build an evidence-base about the state of play in social care now and to make the case for additional and ongoing funding. The deadline for submissions is the close of play today, 15th May. If you have not received the email sent on 1st May to all DASSs or have any questions regarding the survey please email michael.chard1@adass.org.uk
- Care Provider Alliance - Capacity Tracker CQC Letter for Providers
- HSJ - Health inequalities and covid-19 - our greatest challenge
Opinion pieces and blogs:
- Social Care Future - People first
- Community Catalysts - Do we need to reset the relationship between the state and our community?
Mental Health
And remember, next week is Mental Health Awareness Week. More about what we are doing further below.
Learning Disabilities
- ADASS - ASC Covid-19 Weekly Forum Session 4: Caring for Adults with Learning Disabilities and Autistic Adults [01/05/2020]
An audio recording of the session is also available
Homelessness
- Local Government Chronicle - Councils embark on mission impossible: finding permanent homes for rough sleepers
Opinion pieces and blogs:
- Inside Housing (registration required) - Hundreds still on the streets as new people plunged into homelessness during pandemic
Planning
- MHCLG Guidance updated - Neighbourhood planning
- TCPA campaign - The Healthy Homes Act
Planning tracker
Older People’s Care Development – Local Development Plan Monitoring
In association with Tetlow King Planning, this document monitors current local authority planning consultations.
Wales
The Welsh government have said that restrictions on moving homes during the Coronavirus crisis will remain in place despite the English housing market being reopened by housing secretary Robert Jenrick.
Welsh government guidance on COVID-19 can be found at: https://gov.wales/coronavirus
Scotland
The Scottish government have said that restrictions on moving homes during the coronavirus crisis will remain in place despite the English housing market being reopened by housing secretary Robert Jenrick.
Scottish government guidance on COVID-19 can be found at https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance/
Latest government advice guidelines that are relevant for our sector:
Other news include:
Call for info
In response to discussion with our members and to support the sector we have posted three new threads on our discussion forum. These are designed to share learning and intelligence from organisations that are providing:
- Housing with care services, mainly for older people.
- Sheltered and retirement housing services, mainly for older people.
- Supported housing services, for example for people with learning disabilities, for people with mental health related needs, for vulnerable young people, for people experiencing domestic abuse.
We will collate and analyse the responses to these discussion threads - alongside our wider intelligence - to inform future briefings for our members and to feed into discussions with Government officials.
We recognise that housing and care provider colleagues are very busy, however, we hope that you are able to share some elements of your current practice and concerns through our discussion forum by Friday, 29th May.
Forthcoming Events
Housing LIN Events
In light of the coronavirus outbreak we have cancelled all our upcoming regional meetings and training courses until further notice. We are currently exploring how to hold these events online, so watch this space!
Supported by the Housing LIN
- Appello webinar - Smart Living Solutions – Creating a connected environment
- HDRC Webinar: Exploring issues relating to housing and care provision for LGBTQ older people and people living with dementia
- Better Housing Choices for Older People, and People Who Need Support
- Appello - Meeting expectations with digital telecare
- HRF Academic Conference - Happy Homes, Happy Society?
Online Trusted Assessor course now available from the DLF
DLF has created an online version of its popular Trusted Assessor course Trusted Assessor: Assessing for Minor Adaptations in response to the Covid-19 situation. Designed to enable and accredit learners to be able to assess for fast hospital patient discharge, changes in people's needs at home and service users waiting for OT assessments this is our practical response. The course uses a variety of online media including webinars with DLF Trainers.
To find out more or request a leaflet email training@dlf.org.uk or phone 0207 289 6111
Next week
And next week is Mental Health Awareness Week. To celebrate we are delighted that the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) are now associated with our online mental health resources so we can jointly raise the profile of the issues with the housing sector.
And to coincide with the week, we have three guest Housing LIN blogs coming out. The first is by Guinness Partnership's Director of Health and Safety, Liz Skeleton; the second by the Housing LIN's co-dementia lead Katey Twyford; and we conclude with MHF's Jolie Goodman.
The Housing LIN would like to thank Willmott Dixon for their support in producing this newsletter.