Hot off the press: HLINks – our essential sector news, including on COVID-19, new extra care cost model report and 2 new Housing LIN blogs, and so much more
Jeremy talks….
Welcome to Jeremy talks and my weekly piece to audio to coincide with the Housing LIN's bulletin HLINks week ending 10 July.
Last week, I mentioned the Prime Minister’s announcement to ‘build, build, build'. This week this has been replaced by the Chancellor’s call to ‘buy, buy, buy’. One of the take-aways, the cutting of Stamp Duty holiday on properties sold for up to £500,000 until 31 March 2021. While welcome, in a joint letter to the Chancellor last month, we partnered other leading retirement housing groups to urge him to consider a ‘help to move’ package to encourage ‘downsizing’, including removing Stamp Duty specifically for people selling their home to move into retirement housing and extra care. We hope for a move in this direction in future.
In this week's edition of HLINks, we bring you a brand new modelling report on extra care housing and design and cost considerations. The report is a useful resource for benchmarking costs for developing extra care housing including taking into account the impact of COVID on design, labour and materials and fire protection measures post-Grenfell.
We also feature three very different guest blogs that reflect the interests of our broad membership. The first is one by Damian Utton, a co-author of the new design and cost model in which he provides an overview of the report. Another is on the impact of Coronavirus on local communities and older people in Madrid, Spain, to coincide with Coproduction Week. And the final one is on a new homelessness and mental health service in Gloucestershire under lockdown for Rural Housing Week, which is also took place this week.
To read these and a round-up of relevant news and events on housing, health and social care matters, check out our latest weekly bulletin on our website or register online to receive our alerts and other notifications of your choice sent direct to your inbox.
And, if you would like to talk with us about any matters highlighted and/or share learning about your work, email ‘Jeremy talks’ at: info@housinglin.org.uk.
You can also listen to Jeremy talks… here
Best wishes and stay safe,
Jeremy
This week’s new Housing LIN Products:
Design and Cost Considerations in Extra Care Housing
This new report launched this week and co-produced with Pozzoni Architecture, and with additional information supplied by RLB and CPC cost consultants, aims to demonstrate that with careful consideration and the right tools, including useful new cost modelling, Extra Care will remain a viable and sustainable housing with care choice for residents, commissioners and funders, operators and developers.
One of the core messages is that Extra Care environments cannot simply be built using a ‘one-size fits all’ approach. Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, fire safety and fire protection following Grenfell, and residents’ wider health and social care determinants all need to be learned quickly, to safeguard public confidence in extra care housing.
New Blog: Designing Extra Care environments calls for a more considered approach
In this blog, Damian Utton - a director of Pozzoni Architecture and a co-author of the above updated report - sets out why, given the right stimulus, the extra care sector will represent an increasingly attractive option for developers and operators aiming to address the challenges and opportunities presented by an ageing UK population.
New Blog: COVID-19 lockdown: Unlocking mental health services for homeless people
This blog gives personal insight by nurse practitioner, Julie Mordin, into the newly formed Homeless Mental Health Team (HMHT) at the Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust.
New Blog: Sketches from Spain: Finding inspiration on informal care community networks
In her blog, Elisa Pozo Menéndez, an architect and urban designer specialising in Sustainable Cities and Healthy Ageing in Spain, writes about her experience Covid-19 in Madrid. She describes the importance of the way informal networks were established to provide community support, the resultant connectivity and neighbourliness offered to combat loneliness and isolation, and how the links made are now being sustained to generate a new self-managed mutual support.
Coronavirus Update
A selection of latest government advice guidelines and plans that are relevant for our sector include:
- Updated Guidance on shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19
- Updated Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for people receiving direct payments
- Impact of coronavirus in care homes in England: 26 May to 19 June 2020
- Coronavirus and the impact on caring
Other relevant COVID-19 news include:
- Centre for Ageing Better feature: Communities, coronavirus and creative solutions?
- What works wellbeing article: Wellbeing at the heart of Covid recovery
- Tamarack Institute blog: Asset-Based Community Development Recovery Framework
- ARCO: Guidance and information for Covid-19
And remember, check out on our Coronavirus Info Hub for a range of Housing LIN practice briefings for the sector and links to other useful information and websites.
Also, post or reply to questions on our discussion forum. It allows you to share information, raise issues and ask questions to solve a tricky issue. For example, can you share your organisation’s COVID-19 risk plan in preparation for the 2nd wave or information about how you are engaging with residents?
Housing, Community, Disability, and Ageing
- MHCLG announcement on Homes England AHP: Jenrick acts to safeguard affordable homes during pandemic
- The Guardian on Stamp Duty: Rishi Sunak unveils stamp duty holiday and hospitality VAT cut
- BBC News on loft insulation: Sunak to unveil £2bn home insulation scheme
Opinion pieces and blogs:
- Red brick blog: Councils can save cash through specialist and age-friendly housing
- Forbes article: Covid-19: Don’t Mess With My Retirement
- Inside Housing article (registration required): Will the ‘build, build, build’ plans prove to be a deal or no deal?
- Guild Living article: Later living communities and social care reform
Digital Technology Survey – final week to take part!
Have your say: Will COVID-19 be the catalyst for greater use of technology in supported housing?
Appello, in partnership with the Housing LIN, are calling on your support to help identify changes in perceptions on technology and identify best practices for the sector moving forward.
Please take a few moments to complete this short survey by Thursday, 16th July. By completing the survey you will also have the option to receive the results, once published in the form of a short report.
2020 National Housing Design Awards
We are pleased to support these Awards and the category, Senior housing developments that are truly HAPPI. Amongst the 16 awards to be given out over 4 consecutive nights next week (see our events section for details), there is also a new category on Building a Healthy Life.
Design and Technology
- Fine & Able blog: How to design an easy-clean, future-proofed bathroom
- Agile Ageing Alliance blog: Assistive Technology Think Tank
- MHCLG English Housing Survey: Information and publications on the English Housing Survey
Health and care
- ADASS survey: Budget Survey 2020: Impact of Covid-19 on budgets
- Local Area Coordination Network Report launch: Which Way Next?
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 that may be of interest for those seeking to develop housing for older people. The tracker is updated fortnightly.
Wales
Welsh government guidance on COVID-19 can be found at: https://gov.wales/coronavirus
Scotland
Scottish government guidance on COVID-19 can be found at https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance/
Watch again: Recover / Reset / Regenerate conference
Anyone who either dipped in and out or missed last week’s joint Foundations / ADASS / Housing LIN conference, or wants to watch again, can now view it in full or click on the sessions you want to see under the link below:
Upcoming 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! In the meantime, we are pleased to be involved/support the following virtual events:
Staffing Matters
Sorry to see her leave
Even though we may not look it on this picture, we are sad to announce that after three years in post, Clare Skidmore has accepted a new job at NHS England and leaves this week. We are sorry to see her go but we all wish her well and look forward to working with her in her new role addressing the housing needs of people with complex needs.
Next week
We have three new blogs for you. The first by James Bullion, the new President of ADASS, who gives an overview the key messages from his recent presentation at last month’s Recover / Reset / Regenerate conference. This is followed by Becky Walker’s blog on the work of Oxford City Council’s HIA on prioritising adaptations for people being discharged from hospital under lockdown. And finally, we take a look at lodgings and homesharing with Suzanne Noble from Silver Sharers.
The Housing LIN would like to thank Willmott Dixon for their support in producing this newsletter.