Read today’s HLINks to get the links to Housing LIN’s weekly news

Housing LIN news item

New Housing LIN guest blog: Older People Should Make Informed Decisions on Their Ageing Journey

In this new guest blog for the Housing LIN, Two Generation’s Priscilla Yeung explores how homesharing and other intergenerational housing options from the ground-up shape the UK's ageing care.

• Read this blog

Coronavirus Update

With the easing of Covid-19 restriction rules that came into force last month and further relaxations from 17 May, 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.

And if you missed last week’s launch of the St Monica Trust/Housing LIN RE-COV Study, that ‘state of the nation’ report on COVID-19 and its impact on the retirement village and extra care housing sector, you can now download the presenters’ powerpoints and watch a recording of the HAPPI Hour session here.

What else caught our interest:

• The King’s Fund report: Assessing England’s response to Covid-19
• CQC story: Designated settings for people with COVID-19 leaving hospital
• Social Care Today item: Looking to the future – lessons from Covid-19

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

Half of over 50s who want home renovations are unable to afford them

The Centre for Ageing Better has published results from the Good Homes Inquiry survey. It found that over half of those aged 50-70 polled said the main reason they wouldn’t be able to carry out all the accessible renovations is because they cannot afford it.

Nearly three in ten (28%) also said finding a trustworthy tradesperson to do the job would help encourage them to do home renovations followed by a quarter (24%) who said receiving a grant to cover all or some of the costs would encourage them to make the renovations. 

• Access the results

What else caught our interest?

• The Times Bricks & Mortar article: Retirement communities that let you age gracefully
• Intergenerational Foundation blog: Stockpiling space will not solve the housing crisis
• LLARC Housing Matters – Episode 11 on Mixcloud: Intergenerational Foundation with Gerry Foley and Colin Wiles

Design, Construction, Planning and Technology

What caught our interest?

• Home Renaissance Foundation book: The Home in the Digital Age
• Inside Housing article: We need a healthy homes bill, not low-quality office conversions

Health and Social Care, Mental Health and Learning Disability

Call for Report Evidence - State of the Nation: The Social Care Challenge

Public Policy Projects has announced that it is working on a major new report entitled State of the Nation: The Social Care Challenge: Implementing a Connected System, which is set to be launched in July 2021.

They are seeking evidence and case studies that illustrate examples of best practice at local level to deliver sustainable care services in three key areas: 

1. Innovation: Exploring the adoption of new solutions and ways of working in conjunction with innovative technologies that provide value for care givers and receivers, organisations providing care and support the system as a whole. 
2. Integration: Exploring the interoperability between health and care records, the intelligent use of data, and the systemwide connection in national leadership, workforce plans, and local government authorities. The overall aim being to create a joined-up health and care experience for the individual.
3. Infrastructure: Exploring the infrastructure solutions available to enhance interconnectivity and deliver place-based health solutions for elderly care recipients whilst also providing value for money. 

For those that are interested in submitting evidence please click below to download and complete the relevant evidence submission form: 

• Innovation evidence submission form 
• Integration evidence submission form
• Infrastructure evidence submission form

For organisations operating in the private sector, please send completed forms to Public Policy Projects Partnerships Manager, Carl Hodgkinson at carl.hodgkinson@publicpolicyprojects.com

For organisations operating in the public sector, please send completed forms Public Policy Projects Policy Analyst, Charley Hacquoil at charley.hacquoil@publicpolicyprojects.com

What else caught our interest?

• The Times news article: Boris Johnson delays social care reform amid cost fears
• ADASS/IMPOWER report: The Age of Intermediate Care

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

We are also delighted to learn that the report has been recognised by Thinkhouse as one of the ‘must read’ reports for 2021.

• More here

And remember if you missed last month’s HAPPI Hour session on designing for dementia, the recording and presentations are now available. And the next session on retrofitting our homes for dementia takes place on 20 May 2021, coinciding with Dementia Awareness Week 2021.

Wales

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. The draft programme is now live and we are taking bookings below.

• More info and bookings

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.

Following the launch of the recent APPG Inquiry report on housing and dementia, the second of our two HAPPI Hour sessions with Care and Repair England, Foundations and RCOT is taking place on 20 May 2021 (as part of Dementia Awareness Week respectively). Register on our events page for further details.

Before that, to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week on 13 May 2021, our session puts the spotlight on housing and mental wellbeing. We are also working on some exciting webinars for June, including with Clarion Group on healthy ageing and with Tonic Housing, One Housing, Anchor Hanover and the LGBT Foundation on cohousing and extra care housing for older LGBT communities. Keep an eye out on our forthcoming events webpage for details.

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

In next week’s HLINks

As highlighted above, next week our HAPPI Hour will be addressing housing and mental health matters with the Mental Health Foundation, Look Ahead Care and Support, and Ben Channon, co-founder of the Architects' Mental Wellbeing Forum. We will also be publishing a guest blog by Sue Weston on her thoughts for the sector following the HAPPI Hour session she attended last month on the Archbishops of Canterbury and York’s housing report.

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!