HLINks Weekly: Housing, Health, and Social Care Latest News
HLINks Weekly: Housing, Health, and Social Care Latest News
9 March 2026
Before we dive in, we wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who has signed up to attend this week’s Housing LIN Annual Conference in Bristol! Your enthusiasm and registrations have been fantastic.
We’re looking forward to delivering an exciting programme at We The Curious, bringing together leaders from housing, health and social care to explore how we can shape homes for health, independence and connection. We’re especially pleased to welcome our keynote speakers, Ian Workman, Chief Customer Officer, Homes England, and Nick Hibberd, Chief Executive of Bristol City Council, who will share their insights on creating healthier, more connected communities.
A big thank you to our sponsors, whose valued support makes hosting free events like this possible.
In the meantime, today's Housing LIN newsletter includes:
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The SHAPE Exchange website and programme, sponsored by the Vivensa Foundation.
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New Inspirational Achievement feature – The Connector: Co-designing for Late Life Connection.
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A Housing LIN guest blog by Future Leaders participant Sam Gilly (Sovereign Network Group), marking the end of the programme and National Careers Week.
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Housing for older people in the spotlight at Scotland’s Housing Festival.
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The Casey Commission calls for a moment of reckoning on adult social care.
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And much more that caught our interest.
Thank you for joining us each week and being part of our learning community.
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Best wishes, The Housing LIN Team |
News highlights
Discover the new SHAPE Exchange website and programme
We’re delighted to launch the SHAPE (Suitable Housing for our Ageing Population Evidence) Exchange, a 5-year programme designed to drive better, more age-friendly homes and places across the UK.
Led by Housing LIN and funded by the Vivensa Foundation, the SHAPE Exchange brings together housing, health, social care partners and older people to create real, lasting change.
Housing for older people in the spotlight at Scotland's Housing Festival
Our CEO, Jeremy Porteus, joined Angela Currie, Hanover Scotland's CEO, on the platform last week at the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland annual conference in Glasgow.
Chaired by ITV's Vanessa Taaffe, it was the first time housing for older people has taken centre stage at the event.
Casey Commission calls for a moment of reckoning on adult social care
In a speech at the Nuffield Trust Summit, Baroness Casey, Chair of the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care, said social care has never had its own “creation moment” and called for a national reckoning equivalent to Beveridge’s reforms in 1948.
Resource roundup
New Inspirational Achievement Feature - The Connector: Co-designing for Late Life Connection
We are excited to share this new Inspirational Achievement feature highlighting a project funded by the Vivensa Foundation, developed in collaboration with the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Royal College of Art and residents of the Guinness Partnership.
The Connector explores how older adults can live well in homes and communities that support physical, social and digital wellbeing through inclusive co-design.
Expert insights
Breaking the Mold: Learning That My Path Still Counts
Last week was National Careers Week, celebrating the many routes people take to build meaningful working lives. We’re proud to share Sam Gilly's (Complaint Insight Manager, Sovereign Network Group) Future Leaders blog, which reflects on the week’s core message: that careers are rarely linear and every experience adds value.
Her blog is one of several from our 5th cohort, published ahead of recruitment for the 2026/27 programme sponsored by Sovereign Network Group.
What else caught our interest...
- Age Alliance Wales manifesto: 2026 Age Alliance Wales calls to action
- AHR blog: Reimagining the neighbourhood health service: Turning existing places into prevention-focused hubs
- Canadian Journal of Ageing article: A Site Selection Process for Enhanced Programming in Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities and Social Housing: An Equity- and Data-Driven Methodology
- Independent Age report: Out of the cold: Making Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards work for older private renters
- Paul Smith (Foundations) blog: Ikigai, DFGs, and the alignment we rarely talk about
- Public Health Wales: Health Impact Assessment (HIA) guide and resources
- The Oxford Institute of Population Ageing blog: Designing your retirement
- Vivensa Foundation news item: Introducing the SHAPE Exchange: A new programme to transform ageing and housing
Dates for your diary
HAPPI Hour webinars
We look forward to sharing exciting updates about our Spring/Summer HAPPI Hour webinar series commencing in April 2026.
In the meantime, you can now access the full recordings, slides, chat reports and feedback for all previous sessions, featuring diverse speakers and topics from dementia-friendly design and AI to community-led housing, almshouses and diversity.
Events supported by the Housing LIN
- TSA: International Technology Enabled Care Conference (ITEC), 16 – 17 March 2026
- TSA has offered up to 50 free Housing LIN two-day passes. Simply register your place here. When asked if you have been issued a booking code, please select YES. Then input the following code: ITEC2026/HousingLIN
- TSA has offered up to 50 free Housing LIN two-day passes. Simply register your place here. When asked if you have been issued a booking code, please select YES. Then input the following code: ITEC2026/HousingLIN
- Property Week: Later Living and Care Conference, 25 March 2026
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Let’s work together! Please email us at consultancy@housinglin.org.uk or explore our award-winning Research and Advisory Services to learn more.