HLINks: Keep up-to-date with sector news, including on COVID-19, new Housing LIN blog and briefing, and much more
In recent weeks the Housing LIN's Jeremy Porteus has highlighted the value of networking at this time and how our business continuity ensures we remain agile in the face of COVID-19 and can target resources effectively to support your learning and improvement requirements.
A critical component in delivering this in recent weeks has been bringing forward our digital strategy. The result, we have seen better connectivity to:
- access latest sector information on housing and care matters (such as today's HLINks)
- browse our website to source a 'treasure trove' of useful tools and resources
- engage and share knowledge and experience via our Discussion Forum, and
- enquire how we can best support organisations now and/or help prepare them post COVID-19.
Read more about our free networked activities in our Business Continuity Plan or email us to find out more at: info@housinglin.org.uk
The Minister of State for Care writes….
Further to a Zoom meeting with the Minister of State for Care, Helen Whately MP, and the retirement living and extra care housing sector leaders last month, she has now written thanking the retirement and supported housing workforce for their work during this period and encouraged us to share via our networks. You can read her letter here.
New Housing LIN Products
This week, we published a new COVID-19 Practice Briefing (no5) and a new blog:
COVID-19 Practice Briefing (No5) - Changes to welfare benefits
This Housing LIN briefing (No5) for provides information for social landlords, local authorities and other organisations advising and supporting working age adults on welfare benefit changes under COVID-19, highlights examples of practice and signposts to latest government guidance and where to get further advice and support.
Blog - Home is where everything is
In this new guest blog for the Housing LIN, Julia Wigzell of the Pretty Good Project, explores the true impact home design has on our lives, and the opportunity for us to re-evaluate standards and design principles of age-friendly housing and designs at home post COVID-19.
This blog is part of a new series stimulated by the Housing LIN’s Jeremy Porteus thoughts on preparing for ‘work ready’ housing and adapting the HAPPI design principle for work readiness.
Coronavirus Update
Latest government advice guidelines that are relevant for our sector include:
- Considerations for acute personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages (updated 3 May 2020)
- COVID-19: rapid care technology deployment tool
And remember you can check out all key documents by housing, health and social care on our Coronavirus Info Hub as well as all our practice briefings and signposting to other useful information and websites.
Other relevant COVID-19 news include:
- Office for National Statistics - Coronavirus and the social impacts on Great Britain: 30 April 2020
- Chartered Institute of Housing - Supported housing...what we know so far (29 April)
- SocialHousing (registration required) - Managing PPE like a complex cash flow – how housing and care providers are tackling COVID-19
Specific advice guidelines in Scotland and Wales can be found in the relevant sections further down.
Other News from the Sector
Housing, Community, Disability, and Ageing
- Communities Secretary's statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 2 May 2020
- MHCLG has published latest statistics relating to deprivation, housing and homelessness, local government finance, planning performance and land use
- NHF - How housing associations are using voids during the coronavirus crisis
- Ageing Better's response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Ageing Better have curated their key content related to the coronavirus pandemic and its implications for society and those in or approaching later life. - COVID-19 effect felt as early as March as HouseMark launches first sector-wide impact report
- Care & Repair England - Living Safely and Well at Home
Care & Repair have updated their Living Safely and Well at Home brochure and their self-training module offering practical hints and tips about how to make the home safer. They have also published new comprehensive coronavirus related guide, Keeping Well at Home, which includes useful information for older people about shielding, mental health, home exercise and diet. Lastly, see Sue Adams, CEO of Care & Repair England latest blog The gap widens - The Age Buster - We need to move the focus from age to needs
- The RIBA Journal - Will Covid-19 (coronavirus) speed a move to intergenerational living?
- Forbes - Clever Ways Senior Housing Has Kept Residents Engaged During The Pandemic
- Guild Living on Youtube - Social Isolation: It is not just a temporary issue
Check also Eugene Marchese, co-founder and Director, Guild Living recent HLIN blog ‘Everybody needs good neighbours’ - Inside Housing (registration required) - Coronavirus is forcing us into a series of changes that will add up to something much bigger for the housing market
- Inside Housing (registration required) - Five key COVID-19 questions for the housing sector
Homelessness
- Dame Louise Casey to spearhead government taskforce on rough sleeping during pandemic
- NHF - The impact of COVID-19 on homelessness, rough sleeping, and the private rented sector
- Voices of Stoke - Coronavirus (COVID-19) and changes to the Care Act 2014 – A briefing for homelessness providers and practitioners
- The Times - Homelessness: we can’t let the progress we’ve made go to waste
- The Guardian - How a hotel is stemming the tide of Covid-19 among rough sleepers
- Inside Housing (registration required) - Funding needed to ensure rough sleepers in hotels do not return to streets, GLA tells government
Health and care
- LGA - Public health transformation seven years on: prevention in neighbourhood, place and system
- The King’s Fund - Tackling the Covid-19 outbreak in care homes: messages from a geriatrician and a health service researcher about how the NHS can help
- BMC Geriatrics - Day centres for older people - attender characteristics, access routes and outcomes of regular attendance: findings of exploratory mixed methods case study research
- IPC - Surviving the Pandemic: New challenges for Adult Social Care and the Social Care Market
- Community Care - Social workers and social care practitioners: tell us about Covid-19’s impact on your work life
Survey opened until midnight on Tuesday 12 May 2020 - Social Housing (registration required) - Sector stands ready to help care and support providers
- The RSA - Social care cannot wait until the crisis is over to rebuild
- HSJ - Reducing delayed discharge with real time data
- Community Care - Eight councils have triggered Care Act duty moratorium in month since emergency law came into force
- we produce - A Guerrilla Guide to The Art of Coproduction
Produced in collaboration with NHS England, it is designed to generate conversation, ideas and debate with people who coproduce regularly as well as providing an easy access starting point for those looking to learn. - Inside Housing (registration required) - A week in the life… of a caretaker
Mental Health
Planning
- Archadia - Planning Note COVID 19 May 2020
Planning tracker
Older People’s Care Development – Local Development Plan Monitoring
In association with Tetlow King Planning, this document monitors current local authority planning consultations that may be of interest for those seeking to develop housing for older people. The tracker is updated fortnightly.
Wales
Welsh government guidance on COVID-19 can be found at: https://gov.wales/coronavirus
Other news include:
- South Wales Argus - Nearly 200 people who were facing homelessness have been placed in accommodation since start of pandemic
- The RSA - Covid-19 and community-led housing
Allan Shepherd FRSA has seen first-hand the positive impacts of community-led housing and the role of the co-operative behind it. He explores the softer benefits of these approaches to individuals and communities and argues that post-Covid-19, they should play a bigger role in creating strong communities.
Scotland
Scottish government guidance on COVID-19 can be found at https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance/
Other news include:
- The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) have updated their COVID-19 Briefing on Service Delivery
- SFHA provides Social Housing Resilience Group update
- Unsuitable Accommodation Order extended to all people experiencing homelessness
- Inside Housing (registration required) - Scotland bans councils from placing homeless people in hotels for over a week post COVID-19
Forthcoming Events
Housing LIN Events
Housing LIN Events - In light of the coronavirus outbreak we have cancelled all our upcoming regional meetings and training courses until further notice. We are currently exploring how to hold these events online, so watch this space!
Supported by the Housing LIN
- Appello webinar - Digital Telecare: Supporting Self-Isolation
- Appello webinar - Smart Living Solutions – Creating a connected environment
- Better Housing Choices for Older People, and People Who Need Support
- Appello - Meeting expectations with digital telecare
- HRF Academic Conference - Happy Homes, Happy Society?
Next week
And next week, we have 2 guest blogs coming out. The first by Suzanne Noble of Advantages of Age shares her learning from setting up virtual communities and the second Andre Damian from the collective foundation addresses ways to tackle loneliness and isolation.
With Thanks and Stay Safe
The Housing LIN would like to thank Willmott Dixon for their support in producing this newsletter.
Stay well, stay connected and be safe! And Happy Ramadan!
And remember to clap for carers tonight, especially for those working in extra care housing.