Is the UK institutionally ageist? - Housing 21 annual conference

Following this successful event, Housing 21 have produced a series of post conference videos by session chairs.

Click on the links below to view:

• Inside Housing’s editor in chief, Martin Hilditch, on the implications and resources involved in approaching age-segregated housing and what it means for the sector (opens new window)
• The Housing LIN’s dementia co-lead, Katey Twyford, exploring “should I stay or should I go”, reflecting on mainstream v specialist accommodation (opens new window)
• The King’s Fund’s Richard Humphries on “no more social care” and reflections on the need for housing and care to work alongside each other (opens new window)
• The Housing LIN’s CEO, Jeremy Porteus, on how we tackle inequalities and improve housing access for people from Black and Minority Ethnic communities (opens new window)

How does your organisation address loneliness and social isolation?

We are all ageing, yet ageism is the most common form of prejudice. Other forms of discrimination such as racism and sexism are rightly seen as unacceptable, yet ageist assumptions and attitudes often go unchallenged and are often reinforced by the use of language and negative stereotypes of older people.

Is current social housing stock suitable to provide the homes people will need in later life?

This year’s Housing 21 conference will have the over-arching theme of ageing, exploring whether the UK really is institutionally ageist, how this issue can be tackled and what policy change and actions are needed to make this to happen.

Is a new relationship needed between professionals and those needing care?

Inequality in older age will be discussed, reflecting on how working for longer and living more years in ill health impacts on different sections of society, recognising that existing inequalities can be amplified. It will also analyse what consequences the lack of a holistic housing policy has for the older populations.

This conference will bring together representatives from the housing sector, academia and policy.

Welcome - Bruce Moore, Chief Executive at Housing 21

Opening address – Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive Care England and Chair of ILC – Is the UK institutionally ageist?

Panel 1 - Housing Policy (or lack of): the ramifications on society of a lack of a holistic housing policy

• Chair: Martin Hilditch, Ocean Media
• Brendan Sarsfield, Peabody Housing Association
• Professor David Robinson, Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the University of Sheffield
• Professor Ian Cole, Sheffield Hallam University
• Peter Denton, Group Finance Director, Hyde Housing

Panel 2 – The inequalities exacerbated by working for longer in later life

• Chair: Stephen Hughes, Chair of the Board at Housing 21
• Louise Ansari, Centre for Ageing Better
• Richard Humphries, the King's Fund
• George MacGinnis, Challenge Director at Innovate UK

1. Minority housing: LGBT and BAME

• Chair: Jeremy Porteus, Housing LIN
• Tina Wathern, Stonewall Housing
• Jabeer Butt, Race Equality Foundation
• Nigel de Noronha, University of Nottingham

Tina will speak about the drivers for providing housing which is sensitive to the requirements of the LGBTQ community.

Drawing on recent research, Nigel and Jabeer will speak about the greater levels of housing deprivation faced by BAME communities as they age.

2. A debate: is age-segregated housing the right approach?

• Chair: Martin Hilditch, Ocean Media
• Simon Evans, University of Worcester
• Michael Voges, Association of Retirement Community Operators (ARCO)

Simon and Michael will debate on the advantages and disadvantages of age specific housing. Do older people want to live with other old people or should communities contain all ages?

3. No more social care?

• Chair: Richard Humphries, The King's Fund
• Sam Newman, Partners for Change
• Professor Jon Glasby, University of Birmingham

Jon will draw on his UK and European wide work on social care and critique the policy framework of social care and health.

Sam will speak about the ‘three-conversations’ model which aims to create a new relationship between professionals and those needing care, where traditional care packages are offered only when everything else has been explored.

4. Should I stay or should I go? Mainstream vs. specialist accommodation

• Chair: Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive Care England and Chair of ILC
• Paul Smith, Foundations
• Rebecca Mollart, erosh

Paul will discuss the motivations for people wanting to remain in their own home as they age and what support and enablers allow them to do that.

Rebecca will speak about loneliness and social isolation amongst older people and how society needs to address this. Is moving to retirement housing a way to combat this?

Lunch will be provided. Please let the organiser know of any dietary requirements when booking your ticket.

Whether you are an expert or a practitioner - or someone who is interested in the housing or ageing debate, we would be delighted to see you there!

Housing 21 is a leading, not for profit provider of Retirement Housing and Extra Care Living for older people of modest means.

We support independence and choice for older people through providing quality housing and care, managing over 20,000 properties and providing over 42,000 hours of social care each week.

All Housing 21 staff are Dementia Friends and the organisation has a target for half of all residents to be Dementia Friends by 2021.

Previously known as Housing & Care 21, the organisation achieved the Investors in People Gold award in 2018.