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Housing LIN news item

Look Ahead joins the Housing LIN's family of sponsors

We are delighted to announce that Look Ahead have joined the Housing LIN's family of sponsors. They become the exclusive sponsor of our dedicated homelessness microsite on the Housing LIN's webpages.

These ‘go to’ pages host tools, guidance and resources on everything to support prevention, and examples of working with people who are homeless and addressing their housing and wider needs.

Look Ahead support thousands of people across London and the South East with a diverse range of needs, helping them to make individual choices, achieve goals and take control of their own lives by providing tailor-made support, care and accommodation services, including people who are homeless or have mental health needs. Do also join us at the HAPPI Hour session to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 in May when they will be sharing the findings from their recent research into the financial benefits of preventative housing and support (see the Events’ section below).

• Homelessness microsite

Coronavirus Update

With further easing of Covid-19 restriction rules that came into force on Monday, check out current the relevant sector guidance on the pandemic on our Coronavirus Info Hub along with a range of Housing LIN practice briefings for the sector and links to other useful information and websites.

We have also identified the following items as useful reads:

• COVID-19: updated guidance on how to work safely in domiciliary care in England
• COVID-19: updated guidance for supported living
• Extra Care and Supported Living Settings Testing guidance

Do also post any 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 or information about how you are engaging with residents remotely?

Housing, Community, Disability, and Ageing

Retirement Housing: Marketing retirement housing as aspirational and not a sign of crisis

A cross-industry steering group, including the Housing LIN, has published a research report that highlights a significant disparity between public perception and actual offering at retirement housing schemes, as well as identifying clear issues with language and missed opportunities by the retirement housing sector’s marketing approach. Commissioned by Shakespeare Martineau’s Later Living team, their YouGov research included a consumer survey of 2,000 UK adults and 100 representatives from retirement housing providers.

Of those public respondents, 1 in 3 members of the public believe retirement housing schemes are synonymous with ‘old people’s homes’ and there was disconnect between the services the public expected compared to the services actually offered by housing providers. 

• Read the report

Stockpiling Space: How the pandemic has increased housing inequalities between older and younger generations

According to research from the Intergenerational Foundation, COVID-19 has exacerbated housing inequalities, including between the young and the old. The resultant report reveals housing inequalities over the last decade and during the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular in relation to growing inequalities in housing assets and housing space between renters and owners, between rich and poor, and most significantly between the generations.

It concludes that England now has two housing nations.

• Find out more

Dunhill Medical Trust new research call launched

As trailed in HLINks in recent weeks, Dunhill Medical Trust have now opened their latest call for research. They are looking to build the evidence around building and delivering suitable living environments and communities for an ageing population.

Background details on their call and how to submit an application can be found below. The deadline for receipt of Expressions of Interest is 18th May 2021 at 5:00pm.

• More on this

Cabinet Office’s Disability Unit Survey

And remember, to help the government with understanding the barriers that disabled people face and what it may need to focus upon to improve the lives of disabled people, the Cabinet Office in preparing a National Strategy are seeking the views people with disabilities to know more about their experiences.

If you are a disabled person, a carer or parent or as someone who has an interest in disability issues, please complete the online survey by 23 April 2021 if you would like to inform the development of the strategy. The survey is also available in other formats.

• Access the Survey

What else caught our interest?

• Inside Housing news item: Developer reveals £2bn plans to build more than 5,000 retirement homes across UK
• Housing 21 blog: Why older people’s housing is where it’s at
• Centre for Ageing Better report: Ageing in a rural place
• EU Strategy: Union of Equality: Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030
• LSE/TCPA survey: Housing aspirations for a healthy home?
• Blog by Sue Adams, CEO of Care & Repair England: Time for an Act

Design, Construction, Planning and Technology

Technology for an Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation

We are pleased to report that the final TAPPI inquiry session took place this week. With an emphasis on how best to tech-enable the health and social care economy to deliver person-centred outcomes, virtual evidence was given by Rethink Partners, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and Digital Social Care.

There is one further regional showcase event and the Housing LIN will then be working with Panel members to produce a report for release this summer.

• More about TAPPI

What else caught our interest?

• Housing Ombudsman call for evidence: Investigation into damp and mould
• Summer Foundation study (Australian report): Incorporating minimum accessibility standards in new housing: A survey of access consultants and architects
• Digital Social Care item: White paper: putting people at the heart of digital care
• HQN news item: Housing associations launch 300,000 home partnership to tackle energy efficiency
• TSA Voice item: Introducing technology-enabled care: warts and all

Health and Social Care, Mental Health and Learning Disability

What caught our interest?

• APPG on Longevity Inquiry report: Levelling up health
• ADASS paper: Modelling the Financial impact of Covid19 on Adult Social Care – a simple approach offered for local use
• GST Foundation web article: Improving health through investing in homes
• SCIE resources: Delivery safe, face-to-face adult day care
• Care Management Matters article: Building public support: #socialcarefuture

Housing and Dementia

APPG on Housing and Care for Older People Inquiry Report

Did you miss this recent APPG Inquiry report? Watch and listen again to the launch of the new report on housing and dementia here and be inspired by Wendy Mitchell as she shares her personal story about living with dementia. 

• Background information on the APPG Inquiry and access the final report

Reframing dementia: a guide to living with dementia

New research by Anchor Hanover has revealed the nation’s lack of awareness of the prevalence of dementia, and our deep-rooted reluctance to think and talk about it. With worrying data suggesting rates of dementia diagnosis have fallen during the pandemic, Anchor Hanover is launching a guide to help people start these important conversations, so that families can proactively plan for dementia and ensure anyone who does develop it can still lead a fulfilling life.

• More on this

And remember to register for our HAPPI Hour session next week, 22 April, and on 20 May; the latter to coincide with Dementia Awareness Week 2021.

Wales

Communities Creating Homes in Wales research launch into the experiences of community-led housing residents during Covid

Further to our recent HAPPI Hour with the Welsh Cooperative Centre, they have now published their research into the experiences of co-operative and community-led housing schemes across Wales during the pandemic. It reveals how schemes have provided a supportive, safe environment for people through these unprecedented times.

• More on this

And for Welsh government guidance on COVID-19, visit: https://gov.wales/coronavirus

Scotland

We are pleased that Housing LIN will be holding its first Scottish HAPPI Hour on Thursday, 27 May 2021. More details will be available soon on our forthcoming events page.

What else caught our interest?

• SOPA survey: SOPA Health and Wellbeing - Accessing health services during the pandemic

And for Scottish government guidance on COVID-19, go to https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance/

Events

Our Spring HAPPI Hour series is now live

Have we got exciting news for you! Our Spring HAPPI Hour programme is now live and we have some excellent sessions coming up.

We are also grateful to Action Deafness for providing BSL Interpreters so that some of our upcoming sessions are now accessible to the deaf community.

Following the launch of the recent APPG Inquiry report on housing and dementia, we are holding the first of two HAPPI Hour sessions on design, and adaptations and technology next week. This is taking place on 22 April 2021 with the second session on 20 May 2021 (as part of Dementia Awareness Week respectively). Register on our events page for further details.

In between, we are holding a session with Winckworth Sherwood on 6 May 2021 on investing in ‘care ready’ homes with Homes England, Igloo Regneration and Sir David Pearson, chair of the government’s social care task force.

And as highlighted earlier, to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week on 13 May 2021, our session puts the spotlight on housing and mental wellbeing with the Mental Health Foundation, Look Ahead Care and Support, and Ben Channon, co-founder of the Architects' Mental Wellbeing Forum.

We are also working on some exciting webinars for June which we will be announcing in due course, including with Clarion Group on healthy ageing and with Tonic Housing, One Housing and Anchor Hanover on housing for older LGBT communities.

• Keep an eye out on our forthcoming events webpage for details

In next week’s HLINks

Next week we look forward to announcing a new survey by Appello, supported by the Housing LIN. Have your say in 'Will COVID-19 be the catalyst for greater use of technology in supported housing?'

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

Stay safe and remain connected with the Housing LIN!