Extra Care Conference - Raising the Profile, Raising the Standards
This page captures the headlines from the Housing LIN's 2011 annual conference, held on 8 December 2011, at the Riverside Park Plaza, Albert Embankment, London.
Jeremy Porteus, conference Chair and Director of the Housing Learning and Improvement Network (LIN), 
welcomed a packed auditorium to this the first Housing LIN's first national conference. Coming just weeks after the Government's announcement of its housing strategy and new 'deal for older people's housing', he told the 300+ delegates that the demand had been so great that all places for this event had gone within 72hours of opening booking arrangements. He thanked Castleoak and Willmott Dixon for their headline sponsorship of this event and the further financial support from The ExtraCare Charitable Trust, Faithful & Gould, The Guinness Partnership, housing21, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, McCarthy & Stone, PRP Architects, Thomas Pocklington Trust and Tunstall.
He highlighted that this event was also made possible with the endorsement of the Department of Health and that the conference has been designed around evidencing the research on the positive benefits of extra care housing and working with Housing LIN members to put Extra Care Housing 'on the map'. This coincided with the launch of a new online directory to showcase all the DH funded ECH schemes.
Pleanary Sessions
The first speaker at the conference was Professor Anne Netten at the University of Kent's Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU). She presented the findings from PSSRU's independent evaluation of the Department of Health's Extra Care Housing Fund. She outlined the qualitative and quantitative benefits of extra care housing captured in their new summary paper and technical report (opens new window). Click here to see Anne's presentation (opens new window)
Professor Andrew Kerslake from the Institute of Public Care (IPC) at Oxford Brookes University launched the new Strategic Housing for Older People (SHOP) Resource Pack (opens new window). Written by IPC for the Housing LIN and ADASS, he gave an impressive account of how commissioners and providers need to up their game in order to respond to the housing needs and aspirations that older people want. Click here to see Andrew's presentation (opens new window) (opens new window)
Keynote Address
Lord Best, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older People, provided an overview of the findings from its recent 'Living Well at Home' (opens new window) Inquiry. He highlighted the potential impact of welfare reform proposals, especially in relation to Housing Benefits; challenged delegates' thinking about the state of the market for purpose-built, well-designed and affordable accommodation to enable older people live well at home; and called for a greater choice and diversity of provision.
Peter Hay, President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services closed the conference. He gave a 'tour de force' about how councils are transforming local services and developing a range of housing with care solutions that prevents a move to a more costly health or social care setting. Click here to see Peter's presentation (opens new window)
And finally, we would like to thank everyone who made this conference and exhibition possible, it would not have been possible without your support. Feedback from delegates confirms that this event should be a permanent feature on our calendar. We therefore look forward to building on this foundation with you.
