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EngAGE: User Involvement

Understanding service users' views and experiences is critical to effective service, design and delivery. With an increased emphasis on personalisation and co-production to provide choice, it should also help guide commissioning, identify service improvements and meet outcomes that older people want, or what the Housing LIN has coined, ‘CollaborAGE’.

The resources listed below cover different aspects of involvement and user experience.

Engaging residents less likely to access formal social opportunities, community activities and support

In this new Housing LIN guest blog, Jo Stapleton, Good Practice Mentor and Outreach Specialist (former ABC Outreach Manager) at Age UK Camden, shares how to go out into the community to find, approach and engage the people ‘no-one’ knows, including men, BAME communities and individuals less likely to say ‘yes’ to accessing formal services, community activities and support.

Doorstep Outreach A practitioner's guide to first engagement with older people

This report explains the 'doorstep' approach taken by the Ageing Better in Camden (ABC) Outreach Team to proactively find and engage with socially isolated older people that 'no one knows' in sheltered housing, including individuals who may be reluctant to access formal activities, help and support.

The View of a long term resident in Sheltered Housing

Trude Silman, a 91 year old resident of a social rented sheltered housing scheme in Leeds for the past nine years, she reflects first hand on the housing and care needs of older and disabled people living around her. She makes a number of poignant observations and suggestions about living in sheltered housing stemming from her experience, in particular, during the pandemic.

The Bristol Older People's Forum Housing Survey Report

This report was commissioned by Bristol Ageing Better as part of the ‘Age-Friendly City’ initiative. The main purpose was to look at current housing for older people (over the age of 50) in Bristol and to identify their key challenges and future needs in relation to their homes.

How to…. Engage Residents in Sheltered & Retirement Housing

This new guide from Erosh (their members only) looks at resident engagement in a sheltered and retirement housing setting with good practice advice on minimising barriers and maximising the meaningful engagement of older people.

Age Proud: Exploring Positive Ageing

This report by the Greater Manchester Older People’s Network finds that the current narratives on ageing are overwhelmingly negative.

Help with home adaptations: Improving local services

This guide by Care & Repair England includes a list of possible questions that anyone with an interest in improving delivery of home adaptations will find useful in discussions with local providers.

People Doing it for Themselves

This report looks at older people and people with disabilities who have sought to create positive social changes.

Championing the Voices of Older People in Greater Manchester: A Guide to Participation

This Guide to Participation is a report based on the findings of the Greater Manchester Older People's Network events held in Leigh and central Manchester, in May 2019.

It's Time for Local Area Coordination

A new report examining Local Area Coordination: what is it, and how can it help communities?

How to Develop a Community-Led Approach to Age Friendly Housing in Central Bedfordshire

This report sets out action that will assist communities in Central Bedfordshire to take the next steps in implementing plans to increase the number of homes suitable for an ageing population.

Sheltered Housing - Sylvia's Story

Sheltered Housing tenants need to have their voices heard writes Housing LIN's Clare Skidmore.

Participatory City

Participation in practical everyday activities transforms people’s lives and the neighbourhoods in which they live.

Kindliness – developing peer support within Sheltered Housing in Dorset

This new case study from the Housing LIN focusses on a toolkit created by a partnership of organisations that helps to develop peer support in sheltered housing services.

Pembrokeshire Housing’s sheltered housing co-design service review

This Housing LIN case study no 137 for Housing LIN Cymru features a review of services for older people based on co-production principles carried out by Pembrokeshire Housing

Getting Involved: Your Options

This booklet from Hanover Scotland describes the current opportunities available for customers that wish to help in the shaping of Hanover

The A-Z of Co-Design: A brief introduction to participatory design

This bite-sized ' A-Z of Co-Design', produced by Mobility, Mood and Place and supported by the Centre for Accessible Environments, is a folding wallchart exploring participatory design's origins, methods...

The Benefits of Making a Contribution to Your Community in Later Life

In this report, Ageing Better found that people aged 50 with fewer social connections, lower levels of income and education, and poorer health may have the most to gain from helping others. However,...

Investing in Involvement: An accessible framework for identifying the benefits of tenant involvement

This document provides an accessible framework for tenants and employees in landlords to identify the benefits deriving from involving tenants, service users and other stakeholders. Whilst not older...

In sickness and in health - Extra Care Housing works especially well for couples

This Housing LIN Case Study no 122 is about taking on board the views of people living in extra care housing. The Orders of St John Care Trust (OSJCT) is a large not for profit provider of care homes...

Growing Older Together: An Overview of Collaborative Forms of Housing for Older People

This Housing LIN Case Study Report shows how collaborative models of service delivery for older people are now being widely adopted in the heath and care sectors and suggests that housing could do more...

Social Value and Local Area Coordination

These reports take a detailed look at the social and financial benefits of Local Area Coordination (LAC). The first report, takes a look at the return on investment in Derby and forecasts the return...

Local housing, community living: prospects for scaling up and scaling out community-led housing

This report highlights how community-led housing schemes have successfully met the needs and aspirations of local groups and communities. Findings Developments are: innovative have environmentally...

Community Builders

This new report by think-tank DEMOS looks at how best to empower citizens to take a leading role in improving their communities and contribute to local economic growth, with a particular focus on housing...

Community Capital: The Value of Connected

This report from the RSA's Connected Communities programme is the result of five years working with a number of communities across the country, testing different types of practical intervention. The...

People, places and possibilities: Progress on Local Area Coordination in England and Wales

This report by the Local Area Coordination Network looks at the progress made in implementing local area coordination in England and Wales between 2012 and 2015.

Understanding neighbourliness and belonging

This scoping paper for the Neighbourhood Action Network by the Young Foundation reports that in recent decades increased mobility, longer life expectancy, the breakdown of the extended family and an...

Growing Older Together: the development and promotion of resident-led models of housing with care for older people

This Housing LIN Practice Briefing outlines the work being undertaken to capture examples of practice of resident-led housing for older people. This key area of work recognises that there is a need to...

The LiveWell Journey: Transforming South Yorkshire Housing Association's Care and Support Business

This Housing LIN Case Study no 108 provides insight into the critical success factors that have led South Yorkshire's Housing Association (SYHA), outlining the practical steps they have taken to reshape...

Peer Support: what is it and does it work? new evidence review

This informative review of peer support literature by Nesta and National Voices shows that there is a limited understanding of the different forms of peer support, how best to deliver support and the...

Success, Satisfaction and Scrutiny: The Business Benefits of Involving Residents

This report by the University of Westminster for social landlord AmicusHorizon summarises work to develop a compelling business case for landlord investment in resident involvement. Its key argument...

Landscapes of helping: kindliness in neighbourhoods and communities

This paper from the JRF explores how communities need to evolve, to reconnect, so that people cultivate the 'background hum' of sociability that has been associated with neighbourliness. Drawing on...

ABCD in Practice: Connecting Older People and Communities

This report by Sitra takes a look at Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) for older people. With a growing interested in building resilient, strength-based community involvement, the report includes...

Passion for Life at Cartrefi Conwy: Putting Older People in the Driving Seat in North Wales

This Housing LIN Case Study no 103 takes a close look at an approach developed in Sweden, 'Passion for Life' and how it has been successful tailored by North Wales Housing Association, Cartrefi Conwy....

Growing Older Together: The Case for Housing that is Shaped and Controlled by Older People

This Housing LIN Case Study Report argues that we need to develop more housing that is shaped and controlled by older people themselves. Housing of this kind has a proven appeal to older people and it...

Work on the wild side - two cohousing briefings

These two Housing LIN Briefings discuss the growing interest in exploring non-mainstream housing options for older people, including various methods of self-help and mutual support that are often similar...

Building Positive Futures in Thurrock

This Housing LIN Case Study no 72 on creating the homes and neighbourhoods that support independence in Thurrock showcases the strength-based work of 'Building Positive Futures' and how the local council...

Putting tenants at the centre: integrating specialist services to enables tenants to live independently

This Housing LIN case study no 70 looks at Wakefield and District Housing's (WDH's) innovative and holistic tenant centred approach which integrates the services providing specialist support to tenants,...

Home and Community: An ageing tsunami

This Housing LIN Viewpoint no 43 suggests that if we want to create the scope for on-going, active participation in the dynamic life of society amongst older people - with the availability of choice...

Putting rights at the heart of housing with care

This Housing LIN Viewpoint No 41 identifies the key rights of tenants and leaseholders living in Housing with Care (HWC) and presents findings from recent research conducted for Joseph Rowntree Foundation...

Using Resident Scrutiny to drive housing and care accountability

As part of our series of recent thinkpieces looking at user involvement and citizen engagement, this new Housing LIN case study No 65 by independent consultant Phil Morgan reviews an innovative approach...

Individual and Community Empowerment: Getting personal to deliver change

This Housing LIN Case Study no 61 highlights the work of Knightstone Housing Association and the organisation's drive to greater individual empowerment, resident involvement and community engagement to...

Living Labs: a brave new world of customer driven extra care housing

This Housing LIN Viewpoint no 32 gives a personal view on the need for improvements in the way commissioners and providers of extra care housing involve and engage with existing and prospective residents....

A strength-based approach to ageing well: the housing dimension

This Housing LIN Viewpoint no 30 explores how older people can be better linked with communities and suggests that the key is to be found in working with the strengths of individuals and communities,...

Older people and social networking

This Housing LIN Viewpoint no 29 challenges the view that social networks are only for younger people. In fact, more older people than ever are using social networks; and not just to keep up with what...

Delivering Personalised Care and Support Services in Extra Care Housing at Vernon Gardens, Brighton

This Housing LIN Case study no 58 the summary of how a group of prospective tenants with a wide range of physical disabilities and some associated learning disabilities were helped to develop their own...

A radical rethink is required in the way we involve and engage with residents of extra care housing

This Housing LIN Viewpoint no 28 considers how providers have approached involvement of customers in the past and whether engagement methods have moved on in recent years. It highlights some examples...

Civic participation in the age-friendly city programme of Lyon, France

This Housing LIN Case Study no 55 is based on a presentation given at an international symposium on Living Well in the Community in Liege, Belgium, early 2012 to celebrate the European Year of Active...

Involving older people in service commissioning: more power to their elbow?

Carried out on behalf of JRF by the London School of Economics and Political Science, this research, which investigated what happens when older people are given the opportunity to shape service commissioning...

Using the Quality Assessment Framework and Meeting Essential Standards of Quality and Safety

This briefing by Sitra sets out in broad terms the overlapping areas of the Essential Standards for Quality and Safety and the Supporting People Quality Assessment Framework (QAF). Its purpose is to...

How can local authorities with less money support better outcomes for older people?

Research shows that older people want and value low-level support - 'that bit of help' - but the benefits of investing in this are realised over many years, making it harder to prove impact and protect...

Increasing Voice, Choice & Control for Older People with High Support Needs - Emerging Lessons

This paper by the National Development team for Inclusion (NDTi) has been published to share findings (so far) from a two-year project which is aiming to increase the voice, choice and control of older...

Older people with high support needs

In 2009, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) launched A Better Life, a research programme focusing on how we can improve the quality of life of older people with high support needs. The first publication...

EAC Housing for Older People Awards 2010 - Report

The development, implementation, consultation process and findings of the first retirement housing awards nominated by the residents.

Effective Resident Involvement and Consultation in Sheltered Housing - A Good Practice Guide for Providers and Commissioners

In 2009 the report 'Nobody's Listening', published by Help the Aged recommended the "...establishment of good practice guidance for both commissioners and providers concerning resident involvement and...

Putting People Centre Stage

The aim of this Housing LIN Report and the accompanying case studies is to emphasise the real benefits to commissioners and providers of housing with care and support which arise from the genuine engagement...

A World of Difference - one million ways to a better life - five years on

A new report from Housing 21 calls for action to help support and encourage older people who are eligible for benefits which they don't claim. The report, 'A World of Difference', analyses the experience...

Topic framework for conversations with older people

A template designed to find out the views of older users of an extra care housing scheme, could also be adapted for sheltered housing, residential care and day care. It contains a range of questions...

Dignity in Housing

This Housing LIN Report covers policy and good practice to maintain dignity in housing and housing related support. Although the emphasis of the report is on older people, the principles can be applied...

Now you see me, now you don't: how are older citizens being included in regeneration?

Published by Age Concern England the report explores how older people benefit from and are involved in regeneration. Contains evidence of progress made and challenges, many case studies as well as recommendations...

Planning for the majority: the needs and aspirations of older people in general housing

Published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation the report looks at the characteristics of older people and their neighbourhoods and the implications for future housing and environmental design. Drawing...