Hot off the press: HLINks – a kaleidoscope of latest sector news, views and essential resources

#Jeremytalks

Welcome to Jeremy talks and my weekly piece to audio to coincide with the Housing LIN's free weekly bulletin, HLINks, week ending Friday, 2 October 2020.

As trailed in HLINks last week, this Thursday was UN International Day for Older Persons and, to coincide, we held a fabulous HAPPI Hour with leading gerontologists Professor Sarah Harper from Oxford University and Professor Tom Scharf of Newcastle University, along with Guild Living's Stop Ageism campaign, to explore whether our sectors is age-friendly or age-unfriendly and what this means for our homes and communities. The Housing LIN is also proud to be a member of the Stop Ageism campaign which was officially launched this week.

In other news, this week also saw Appello release their third report on digital technology and supported housing, drawing on the findings from our joint survey with them. It predicts that 2021 will see significant steps forward in the delivery of TECS as service users become more technology aware and the telecoms landscape moves closer to being completely digital.

And following my blog on work ready HAPPI at the start of the pandemic, I have updated it 6 months on for the Workhome Project taking the opportunity to review the 10 HAPPI design principles for work readiness.

In this week’s HLINks, you can also read our curated round-up of other relevant news and events on later life living with regard to homes and communities, health and social care, design and technology, planning matters and more, including a new housing report on the older LGBT+ community in London.

Check this out and register here to keep in touch with all our news alerts and other notifications of your choice, sent direct to your inbox. And remember you can also follow us via our Twitter feeds: @HousingLIN, @HousingLINews and @HLINConsult

Lastly, if you would like to talk to us about any matters highlighted, share learning about your work and/or discuss how our consultancy services can assist you, email ‘Jeremy talks’ at: info@housinglin.org.uk

You can also listen to Jeremy talks… here

Best wishes and stay connected and be safe,

Jeremy

This week’s Housing LIN blogs

HAPPI Working from Home? Designing ‘work ready’ housing revisited

Jeremy Porteus

This Housing LIN blog updates some of Jeremy Porteus' thinking captured in his April blog. Drawing on the last 6 months under lockdown, it provides an outline of how ten years since the original HAPPI report, the 10 ‘care ready’ HAPPI design principles can be recalibrated to incorporate ‘work ready’ adjustments to accommodate a growing number of people of all ages, but especially in later life, who want or will be working from home or may require live in care and support, such as personal assistant, now or in future, to meet their changing work patterns and lifestyles.

Housing Matters for All

Roderick John Lawrence_headshot

Roderick Lawrence has also added to his recent Housing LIN blog. Please see below, and join the debate by posting your comments under the blog.

Coronavirus Update

With further lockdowns in various parts of the UK as a 2nd wave fast approaches, 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?

Below you will find a selection of latest Coronavirus related guidance relevant to our sector

Housing LIN signs up to the Stop Ageism Campaign

Stop_Ageism_Logo

Formally launched this week by Guild Living, the Housing LIN is pleased to be a partner of the STOPageism campaign and how we tackle ageism both generally but also specifically in our housing.

Eugene Marchese

For more on Guild Living, read CEO Eugene Marchese Housing LIN blog

Housing, Community, Disability, and Ageing

Building Safe Choices

Building Safe Choices: Our voices - LGBT+ later life housing demand in London

Tonic, Stonewall Housing and Opening Doors London teamed up to conduct much-needed research to better understand the housing, care and support requirements of older LGBT+ people in London. The result report shows the urgent need for better housing choices for older LGBT+ people and makes key recommendations and a number of high level commitments for public bodies, including to meet their duties to diverse communities under the Equalities Act 2010 and the Care Act 2014.

In other News

Opinion pieces and blogs:

Design, Construction and Technology

6 TECS trends you will see accelerate in 2021

6 TECS promo

This guide is the third in a series from Appello highlighting the changing landscape for the delivery of Technology Enabled Care Services (TECS). It is drawn from interviews and independent research undertaken with the Housing LIN of 120 senior executives from providers of supported, sheltered and retirement housing has influenced the series of guides

The guide makes a number of observations on how TECS can transform lives and improve the delivery of services under Covid and lists providers’ priorities for technology going forward. For example, Appello predict that 2021 will see significant steps forward in the delivery of TECS as service users become more technology aware and the telecoms landscape moves closer to being completely digital. In addition, those housing providers who have witnessed the advantages of digital technology during COVID-19 will want to expand these services, whist other providers will see the need to invest in more appropriate services.

In other News

Opinion pieces and blogs:

Dementia, Health and care

Dementia wellbeing in the COVID-19 pandemic

New guidance published by NHS England / NHS Improvement sets out a framework to help address the needs of people with dementia in the Covid-19 pandemic. It is primarily for clinicians working with people with dementia but can also be used by carers and people with dementia.

In other News

Opinion pieces and blogs

Housing and Dementia

We are now working on the APPG on Housing and Care for Older People’s 3rd Inquiry session which takes place later this month on the housing experiences of people living with dementia. The final session will then take place in December before the final report launch event in February 2021.

While the current call for evidence is formally closed, do email us any examples of innovative practice at: dementia@housinglin.org.uk

Sight loss, home and the built environment webpages

Sponsorship opportunity

Sightloss screen grab

To coincide with National Eye Health Week last week, we put a call out for an exclusive sponsor who shares our learning and improvement ethos; in particular, to champion better housing for visually impaired people. Would you like to be associated with our dedicated webpages for a modest amount to help us sustain our information exchange on latest practice developments and innovation that improve the quality of accommodation and housing services for people with a sight loss? 

If you would like to find out more about this exciting sponsorship opportunity and accompanying 'package', email us at info@housinglin.org.uk so we can arrange an informal chat with you.
 

Planning

Jeremy Porteus joined a high-profile cast at a Cratus webinar this week on planning for retirement and supported living. You can listen again at: ADD URL

Dementia and Town Planning: Creating better environments for people living with dementia

Cover Dementia and town planning

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has updated its practice advice which sets out different approaches and tools town planners can use to ensure homes and local environments are dementia-friendly. It highlights the vital role that town planning plays in dementia care in the UK, helping to reduce pressure on the NHS and controlling the costs for health and social care.

Planning tracker

Tetlow King Logo

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

Flag Wales

Welsh government guidance on COVID-19 can be found at: https://gov.wales/coronavirus

And find details about how to sign up to our upcoming Housing LIN Cymru HAPPI Hour on Tuesday, 3 November in our events section below.

Scotland

Scottish Flag

Scottish government guidance on COVID-19 can be found at https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance/

And find details about how to sign up for next week’s Housing LIN Scotland HAPPI Hour on Inclusive Living in our events section below.

Housing LIN Networking Events

Join us for HAPPI Hour

Happi Hour Logo ealerts

The Housing LIN’s exciting new virtual platform offers chance to resume networking and stay connected with latest policy and practice developments, and recent publications and research findings. Check out our October/November HAPPI Hour programme below. And also look out next month for details of our rescheduled annual conference!

Forthcoming Housing LIN HAPPI Hours

Other events

We are pleased to be involved/support the following virtual events:

Next week

Next week we publish a guest blog by Lifestyle by Engie’s Paula Broadbent and a new Inspirational Achievements page by L&Q Living that showcases how they have supported residents and coped organisationally during the pandemic. We also feature the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations’ recent toolkit on Inclusive Living at our HAPPI Hour on Thursday, 8 October. Drinks not included!

The Housing LIN would like to thank Willmott Dixon for their support in producing this newsletter.

Stay connected, stay well and, above all, be safe!