Have we got an e-news for you: Read HLINks for latest sector news, views, resources and events
Welcome to Jeremy talks and my weekly piece to audio to coincide with the Housing LIN's free weekly bulletin, HLINks, week ending Friday, 23 October 2020. Have we got e-news for you!
If you missed last week’s HLINks, you will not know that we have announced the dates for our rescheduled annual conference. Cancelled back in March as Coronavirus was taking hold, we are now organising an exciting week-long virtual Housing LIN Summit, with 10 sessions over 5 days, week commencing Monday, 7 December.
And to coincide with the Housing LIN Summit 2020, we have designated that week as the first-ever HAPPI Awareness Week. We want to further raise awareness over the 5 days about the virtues of designing ‘care-ready’ accommodation and age-friendly housing services.
On Tuesday saw the publication of the government's National Statement of Expectations for Supported Housing. We were pleased that it made reference to several Housing LIN resources that aid local council's strategically and operators plan to meet the needs and aspirations of customers and understand the demand for quality services and products for older adults and vulnerable people.
In other news, we published a new Housing LIN case study by BPTW architects on their award winning Rochester Riverside development for Countryside and the Hyde Group, winner of the Building for a Healthy Life at this year’s national Housing Design Awards.
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 release of the APPG on Housing and Social Mobility’s Inquiry report into tackling the employment and earnings gap in social housing.
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, above all, be safe,
Jeremy
Housing LIN Summit 2020 – Reaching for the Top
#HLINSummit2020
Our annual conference is back on! Spread across the week of 7-11 December, there are ten free HAPPI Hour sessions with two must-join topical sessions each day to choose from celebrating outstanding innovation, latest research findings, leading practice developments and sector thought-leadership, including a look at the sector transformation that has taken place over the last 9 months as a result of COVID-19.
And because it’s virtual, you can now choose as many of the sessions as you want to go to. Browse Housing LIN Summit 2020 programme and select your choices here.
HAPPI Awareness Week
To coincide with Summit 2020, we are also designating the week as the first ever HAPPI Awareness Week. We want to further raise awareness over the 5 days about the virtues of designing ‘care ready’ accommodation and age-friendly housing services.
We look forward to promoting what's best in housing for an ageing population, sharing the key learning and improvement points and celebrating the benefits of #HAPPIweek with you.
This week’s Housing LIN Case Study
Building for a Healthy Life: Rochester Riverside – a Housing Design Award-winning development
The quality of our homes and urban environments play a vital role in our health and wellbeing; something that has become all the more evident in 2020, especially as a result of the pandemic. This case study by architect practice BPTW for the Housing Learning and Improvement Network captures the key design characteristics that establish a route to a healthy, sustainable and enjoyable home. It features this year’s winning entry to the Housing Design Award’s Building for a Healthy Life category in Rochester, Kent.
Coronavirus Update
With further lockdowns in various parts of the UK as a 2nd wave fast approaches, 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?
In the meantime, below you will find a selection of latest Coronavirus related guidance relevant to our sector.
Housing LIN signs up to the Stop Ageism Campaign
Formally launched two weeks ago by Guild Living, the Housing LIN is pleased to be a founding partner of the STOPageism campaign and how we tackle ageism both generally but also specifically in our housing.
You can also follow the campaign on Twitter using #StopAgeism
Housing, Community, Disability, and Ageing
Government announces national statement of expectations on Supported Housing
This new statement of expectations sets out guidelines for local authorities and supported housing providers, detailing good practice for the housing management aspects of supported housing provision.
Supplied in the guidance are the following:
- Good practice guidance for supported housing, including reference to the good practice guide the Housing LIN wrote for Central Bedfordshire's Council on community-led approaches to housing for older adults
- Toolkits, and links to further information and guidance aimed at supported housing landlords and managing agents, including the Housing LIN's Strategic Housing for Older People Assessment Tool
Alongside the National Statement of Expectations, the government has announced £3 million to fund pilots in 5 cities to improve quality, enforcement, oversight and value for money in supported housing.
You may also be interested in the recent report we wrote for the National Housing Federation on Supported housing for people with long-term care and support needs
Please consult with us on your requirements so we can best advise on the most up-to-date resources and support available from the Housing LIN that would best suit your needs. Email us at: consultancy@housinglin.org.uk or visit our Consultancy pages
APPG on Housing and Social Mobility Inquiry
The APPG on Housing and Social Mobility, hosted by Communities that Work, led a national Inquiry aimed at tackling the employment and earnings gap in social housing. Chaired by Lord Kerslake, the Inquiry brought together insights and testimonies from sector experts, housing providers, and residents from across England.
Its report, ‘Improving Opportunities: How to support social housing tenants into sustainable employment’ finds that the effect social landlords have on getting people into sustainable employment “can be transformative”. The report also warns against a national one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, it recommends that employment support in England and Wales is commissioned, designed, and delivered locally through local government, housing associations, and local bodies.
The report contains a section on good practice and policy-related recommendations, among which there are a number of key recommendations resulting from the research carried out as part of the Workhome Project, which the Housing LIN is a founding member of.
The report additionally refers to Housing LIN's involvement with the response with our APPG submission - through which digital connectivity was highlighted to be of importance to providing individuals with the capacity to find work.
Have your say: Later Living Survey
As reported last week, we are delighted to support Shakespeare Martineau’s Later Living survey and their research project to understand industry perceptions of retirement housing.
Following the publication of our joint report, Shining a spotlight on the retirement housing market last year, we want to update this state of the nation report. If you’re involved in the sector, we need your input! Click on the link below to take part, as well as receive updates and invites to future events on later living. Deadline is Monday 26th October.
In other news
- ILC-UK Report: Global COVID recovery relies on better engaging over-50’s
- JAMDA: The Impact of COVID-19 Measures on Well-Being of Older Long-Term Care Facility Residents in the Netherlands
Opinion pieces and blogs
- The Guardian article: 'A game changer'. The UK's first LGBTQ+ extra-care housing scheme gets go ahead
- Inside Housing Comment (registration required): Let’s retire the term ‘extra care’
Design, Construction and Technology
- MHCLG consultation: Raising accessibility standards for new homes
- Place Alliance: Home comforts during the Covid-19 lockdown
Opinion pieces and blogs
- The RIBA Journal: Will Covid-19 speed a move to intergenerational living?
- Centre for Ageing Better: Why do we focus on safe and accessible homes?
Dementia, Mental Health, Health and care
Housing and Dementia
We are now working on the APPG on Housing and Care for Older People’s 3rd Inquiry session which takes place later this month on the housing experiences of people living with dementia. The final session will then take place in December before the final report launch event 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
In other news
- Skills for Care Report: The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England
- RCOT: Impact of COVID-19 ‘profound’, finds RCOT survey
Opinion pieces and blogs
- SCIE media release: Adult social care worker report: SCIE response
- Social Care Future blog: Three words to change the way we think about social care
Planning
Planning: grand challenge on healthy ageing
You can now watch the HAPPI Hour session held last week on planning with the TCPA and Tetlow King Planning.
And remember that the Government consultation on their Planning White Paper is still open!
In other news
Opinion pieces and blogs:
- Savills Blog: How has Covid-19 impacted the plan-making process?
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
And find details about how to sign up to our upcoming Housing LIN Cymru HAPPI Hour session on social, environmental and digital inclusion on Tuesday, 3 November in our events section below.
In other News
- Wales Co-operative Centre: Co-op and community-led housing case studies
Scotland
Scottish government guidance on COVID-19 can be found at https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance/
Housing LIN 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. Check out the last two sessions of our October / November HAPPI Hour programme below.
And also look out next month for details of our rescheduled annual conference!
Forthcoming Housing LIN HAPPI Hours
- HAPPI Hour - Health starts at home - 29/10/2020 4:00pm till 5:15pm
- HAPPI Hour Cymru - Spotlight on Inclusion - 03/11/2020 4:00pm till 5:30pm
Other events
We are pleased to be involved/support the following virtual events:
- Healthy Ageing: Vision for our Futures - 02/11/2020 till 30/11/2020
- Social Care Future event - Towards a Brighter Future - 04/11/2020 till 06/11/2020
- CIH Eastern Housing Summit - 10/11/2020 till 11/11/2020
- Later Living: the role of technology in the later living sector - 03/11/2020 9:30am till 10:15am
- The Housing 21 Dementia Design Event - 04/11/2020 10:00am till 3:15pm
- 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
- Healthy City Design 2020: International Congress & Exhibition - 30/11/2020 9:00am till 03/12/2020 5:00pm
Next week
Next week we publish a new Housing LIN case study by HTA architects and Sovereign Housing on their award-winning intergenerational housing development at Hanham Hall, South Gloucestershire at this year’s national Housing Design Awards. Please also join us for our latest HAPPI Hour on Health starts at Home, where we will be looking at innovative local and national examples of where people are being supported at home with technology, aids and adaptations to prevent/following a hospital admission.
And following the publication of the RCOT guide Adaptations Without Delay and nearly 5,000 page visits and 1,500 downloads from our website, we have teamed up with RCOT to survey our membership about the impact the guide has had. Please give us your feedback.
Lastly, the Housing LIN would like to thank Willmott Dixon for their support in producing this newsletter.