Hot off the press: HLINks - a kaleidoscope of latest sector news, views and essential resources
Welcome to Jeremy talks and my weekly piece to audio to coincide with the Housing LIN's free weekly bulletin, HLINks, week ending Friday, 25 September 2020.
It's been another busy week on the Housing LIN news merry-go-round. It’s National Eye Health Week and we kicked off on the government's Winter Plan for 2020/2021 which came out late last Friday. The Plan sets out the government's ambitions for the sector in England and the challenges facing adult social care this winter, making one reference to extra care housing and supported living, and how digital technology can play a greater role. However, we also noted the short-sightedness of the Plan. With winter in mind, more could have been said about housing interventions to make our homes warm and energy efficient, and the obvious links with health improvements at this time of year. Alongside the Plan, DHSC released the report from the Social Care Sector COVID-19 Support Taskforce on the pandemic. The Taskforce had 8 working groups and each of their papers was also published. The Housing LIN was a member of the working group on innovation and good practice and its paper refers to our Home from Hospital online directory of practice. And staying with government, MHCLG have allocated £91.5m to 274 councils to end rough sleeping, helping vulnerable people who were housed during the pandemic stay in accommodation this year.
On Monday it was World Alzheimer's Day and we hosted the 2nd session of Lord Best's APPG Inquiry into the housing experiences of people living with dementia. The Housing LIN is Secretariat to this Inquiry which is due to report in February 2021. There were also a couple of useful new reports published on designing and planning for dementia that we feature in this issue.
This Thursday saw our 3rd open HAPPI Hour session. Attracting over 80 members, we focused on our recent report on supported housing for the National Housing Federation. We also released our latest A-Z this week. This one gives an alphabetical list of 26 intergenerational and community-led housing, such as cohousing in the UK.
In this week’s HLINks, you can also read our curated round-up of other relevant news and events on later life living with regard to homes and communities, health and social care, design and technology, planning matters and more, including the Centre for Ageing Better's new report with The King’s Fund on Health, Housing and Covid-19.
Check this out and register here to keep in touch with all our news alerts and other notifications of your choice, sent direct to your inbox. And remember you can also follow us via our Twitter feeds: @HousingLIN, @HousingLINews and @HLINConsult
Lastly, if you would like to talk to us about any matters highlighted, share learning about your work and/or discuss how our consultancy services can assist you, email ‘Jeremy talks’ at: info@housinglin.org.uk
You can also listen to Jeremy talks… here
Best wishes and stay connected and be safe,
Jeremy
This week’s Housing LIN A-Z
Intergenerational developments and cohousing scheme
As part of our thinking on CollaborAGE, we have created this A to Z of intergenerational developments and cohousing schemes in the UK where one of the words in the scheme name begins with a letter of the alphabet.
The list of 26 schemes is purely meant as a bit of light-hearted fun in these difficult times. We welcome your suggestions, especially any development, scheme or project that starts with the letter Z!
Coronavirus Update
Check out on our Coronavirus Info Hub for a range of Housing LIN practice briefings for the sector and links to other useful information and websites. Also, post or reply to questions on our discussion forum. It allows you to share information, raise issues and ask questions to solve a tricky issue. For example, can you share your organisation’s COVID-19 risk plan in preparation for the 2nd wave or information about how you are engaging with residents?
- Department of Health and Social Care Winter Plan 2020/21 gets frosty reception
- Department of Health and Social Care Taskforce report and working group papers (Housing LIN pleased to contribute)
- Public Health England COVID-19: guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection
- MHCLG updated guidance: COVID-19: Guidance for the safe use of multi-purpose community facilities
Housing, Community, Disability, and Ageing
Homes, health and COVID-19: How poor-quality homes have contributed to the pandemic
This Centre for Ageing Better / King’s Fund report highlights the increased risk poor-quality housing has on those identified as being most at risk of COVID-19, especially in the event of another lockdown. The report calls on government to make sure at-risk groups have the support they need now to make their homes warmer, free from damp and mould, and safer. And, in the longer term, much more needs to be done to fix the poor state of England's housing stock with our existing housing stock amongst the worst in Europe.
In other News
- Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government: £91.5m allocated to housing support for vulnerable people
Opinion pieces and blogs
- Habinteg video: Take a look at what Baroness Campbell had to say in support of #ForAccessibleHomes
- #ForAccessibleHomes blog: Covid-19 shows we can’t expect UK Gov alone to act on accessible homes
- LLARN radiocast: Episode 3 #HousingMatters: Home Adaptations Gerry Foley, Prof Catherine Bailey & Dr Dominic Aitken
- Inside Housing article (registration required): If the ‘perfect storm’ arrives, we need to be ready
- PegasusLife blog: Chimes: A city living haven
- Property Week article: Why later living is a positive investment
- Health Club Management article: Jamie Bunce - The CEO of retirement village operator Inspired Villages talks about wellbeing-focused communities and handling the COVID-19 crisis
- Run The World item: Creating Communities: Places Beyond the Pandemic
- Inside Housing article (registration required): COVID-19: how supported living has coped
Design, Construction and Technology
- Design Council report: Design Perspectives: Health and Wellbeing
Opinion pieces and blogs
- Invisible Creations blog: Sheila’s story
- Graeme Foster LinkedIn writes: Humans belong in a tribe – robots are not the answer to caring for the elderly
Health and care
- House of Commons research briefing: Adult Social Care Funding (England)
Opinion pieces and blogs
- Social Care Future blog: Towards a Brighter Future
- NCF blog: Visiting in Care Homes: where now?
Dementia
World Alzheimer Report 2020: Design, Dignity, Dementia: dementia-related design and the built environment (Volumes One and Two)
Alzheimer’s Disease International published two extensive reports looking at the design progress to date, best practice, pioneers and innovators, design principles, application, regional and cultural contexts, the importance of including people with dementia in every stage of the design process, and poignantly the role of design during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.
Opinion pieces and blogs
- ELSA podcast: Dementia - who's at risk and why?
Housing and Dementia
APPG on Housing and Care for Older People inquiry on the housing experiences of people living with dementia
It was World Alzheimer’s Day on Monday and, to coincide, the 2nd virtual inquiry session took place of the APPG on Housing and Care for Older People Inquiry on the housing experiences of people living with dementia. There are two more sessions and the APPG is due to report in February 2021.
While the current call for evidence is formally closed, do email us any examples of innovative practice at: dementia@housinglin.org.uk
Sight loss, home and the built environment webpages
Sponsorship opportunity
To coincide with National Eye Health Week this week, we are looking for an exclusive sponsor who shares our learning and improvement ethos; in particular, to champion better housing for visually impaired people. Would you like to be associated with our dedicated webpages for a modest amount to help us sustain our information exchange on latest practice developments and innovation that improve the quality of accommodation and housing services for people with a sight loss?
If you would like to find out more about this exciting sponsorship opportunity and accompanying 'package', email us at info@housinglin.org.uk so we can arrange an informal chat with you. Thanks for your interest.
Planning
Dementia and Town Planning: Creating better environments for people living with dementia
To mark World Alzheimer's Day 2020 this week, the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has updated its practice advice which sets out different approaches and tools town planners can use to ensure homes and local environments are dementia-friendly. It highlights the vital role that town planning plays in dementia care in the UK, helping to reduce pressure on the NHS and controlling the costs for health and social care.
In other news
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
Scotland
Scottish government guidance on COVID-19 can be found at https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance/
Housing LIN resumes networking events
Join us for HAPPI Hour
The Housing LIN’s exciting new virtual platform offers chance to resume networking and stay connected with latest policy and practice developments, and recent publications and research findings. We have now held all of our September HAPPI Hour programme this month. However, check out our new October HAPPI Hour programme below.
Forthcoming Housing LIN HAPPI Hours
- HAPPI Hour - Stopping Ageism: Homes for the lifecourse - 01/10/2020 4:00pm till 5:15pm
- HAPPI Hour – Designing for Inclusion: ensuring we have the right tools at our disposal - 08/10/2020 4:00pm till 5:15pm
- HAPPI Hour - Planning: grand challenge on healthy ageing - 15/10/2020 4:00pm till 5:15pm
- HAPPI Hour - Health starts at home - 29/10/2020 4:00pm till 5:15pm
Other events
We are pleased to be involved/support the following virtual events:
- ULI later living –housing with care digital events (24/09/2020 and 08/10/2020 12:00pm till 1:30pm)
- Planning for the future: what are the implications for retirement and supported living? Free breakfast event (29/09/2020 8:30am)
- Later Living: reflections from the last 18 months - 01/10/2020 9:30am till 10:15am
- Appello - 4 enablers to a better living experience in supported housing (08/10/2020 1:30pm)
- Healthy City Design 2020: International Congress & Exhibition - 12/10/2020 till 13/10/2020
- Later Living: the role of technology in the later living sector - 03/11/2020 9:30am till 10:15am
- Later Living: Building for life – planning for a HAPPI life - 10/11/2020 9:30am till 10:15am
- HRF Academic Conference - Happy Homes, Happy Society? -12/11/2020 till 13/11/2020
- SHMA Talks: Future proofing Later Living - 17/11/2020 4:00pm till 4:45pm
Next week
Next week on Thursday it is International Older Person’s Day and we are delighted to kick off our October HAPPI Hour with Professor Sarah Harper (Oxford University) and Prof Tom Scharf (Newcastle University) and the STOP ageism campaign, led by Guild Living. Drinks not included!
The Housing LIN would like to thank Willmott Dixon for their support in producing this newsletter.