Wales Regional Highlights - June 2015

Jeremy, Chris and Kirsty report that the Housing LIN Cymru was invited this month to attend an expert seminar at PPIW at Cardiff University on the future of housing for older people in Wales. The Housing LIN have also commissioned IPC at Oxford Brookes University to produce a ‘state of the nation’ report on extra care in Wales.
Jeremy also spoke at a CHC Housing Directors Network meeting in Llandrindod Wells on how housing providers can best address the needs of their older residents. It follows a sector wider housing survey 2014 in Wales by CHC that highlights that the majority of older people were very or fairly satisfied with their housing with matters relating to accessibility, orientation, safety and security scoring over 90% and issues relating to support planning, on-site facilities and community alarm/telecare scoring in the mid to high 80%. More at: www.housinglin.org.uk/HousingRegions/Wales/Research-and-good-practice/?&msg=0&parent=9033&child=9543
In Powys, Wales and West Housing Association have started work on county’s first extra care scheme for affordable rent in Newtown for people with care and support needs.
In Tregaron, Ceredigion, the Welsh Government has provided a £5.8m Government investment in services closer to home, including plans for 34 flats for people who require extra care and support to remain in their own homes and six integrated health and social care places for people who no longer need to stay in hospital but require more support before they return home
And in Talbot Green, Rhonda Cynon Taff, Keepmoat are developing a £4.5 extra care facility for Hafod Care Association which will provide 40 self-contained apartments.
And in Ammanford in Carmarthenshire, Family Housing Association Wales are developing a new £10-millionm 50 unit, Extra Care Housing scheme
Jeremy, Chris and Kirsty also report that the Welsh Government has announced a further £20m in its Intermediate Care Fund in 2015/16to continue projects which have proven to be successful in helping older and vulnerable people remain in their own homes. The recurring revenue fund will support schemes which improve out-of-hospital care and helping people to return home from hospital and help reduce pressure on unscheduled care services and hospital admissions and adds vital new resources to care in the community. More at: www.housinglin.org.uk/HousingRegions/Wales/Funding/?&msg=0&parent=9032&child=9562
And the JRF have published findings from Wales and Scotland that demonstrate the benefits of using research and related contextual evidence in developing services and workforces, resulting in improved wellbeing for older people, carers and staff. More at: www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/developing-social-care-summary.pdf
And finally, please note that the new Code of Professional Practice for Social Care by The Care Council for Wales comes into force from 1 July 2015. The new code of conduct places more emphasis placed on individuals’ choice when receiving care, and all employees will have a duty to raise concerns about misconduct in social care practices, including within an extra care housing setting. Download at: www.housinglin.org.uk/HousingRegions/Wales/Policy-and-strategies/?&msg=0&parent=9031&child=9584