bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Valuing People
Authors: Wolverson David
Published: August 2011

The new White Paper, Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century, is the first for 30 years. It is important, first, as an indication that people with learning disabilities are not forgotten ‐ as it might sometimes seem. A government paper has been produced with care and following consultation to enshrine the approach that can be expected for the years ahead. It is important, second, for the attitudes it contains ‐ the aims and principles that should guide services are stated formally or implied in the text ‐ and third, because it is the first guidance on learning disability services to recognise the importance of ‘a place to live’, with a section on housing, not just references to residential care.
Models of very sheltered housing: Rethinking housing for older people
Authors: King Nigel
Published: August 2011

This year's Reith lectures focused on older people and questioned the inevitability of the ageing process. One lecture was to an audience of older people living in an ‘extra care’ scheme focused on activity and health ‐ ‘adding life to years’. In a specially commissioned series of articles, Nigel King explains how extra care models and new ‘retirement communities’ are becoming an alternative to residential care and traditional sheltered housing. The first offers a typology for extra care. The second will be about modelling the care services, and the third on land and building development issues.
Workforce and training: Update on the new training standards and regulations in care
Authors: Spaull Jenny
Published: August 2011

With new information on what seems like a weekly basis, the requirements for training in care need careful tracking. Recommendations become requirements as the new regulatory mechanisms in care appear. The situation can appear quite confusing, particularly as the methods of funding are far from clear. Many of the new standards clearly represent good practice, but there are issues about how they will be implemented and resourced.
Service review: Devising an all ‐ purpose methodology
Authors: McAllister Kate
Published: August 2011

There are currently a number of reasons why providers need to review their services: to prepare for Supporting People, to develop a strategy for rent restructuring, to implement Best Value, to assess the impact of new care standards, to develop an asset management strategy and for internal quality assurance purposes. The article describes an appraisal toolkit developed to achieve consistent and accountable assessments.
The Care Standards Act 2000: Changing for the better?
Authors: Greathead Chris
Published: August 2011

Providers are keenly aware of the new and additional requirements for the regulation and supervision of services providing housing care and support. The Care Standards Act 2000 provides a framework for regulation that has some very particular characteristics. The old Registered Homes Act has been criticised for uneven application and for placing limitations on services, with unfortunate results for residents. How will the new Act affect providers? Will it provide the right results for residents?
Extra care housing: Capital and revenue funding
Authors: King Nigel
Published: August 2011

This is the second of a series introducing ideas about extra care housing for older people. Extra care models and new ‘retirement communities’ are becoming an alternative to residential care and traditional sheltered housing. The first article offered a typology for extra care, illustrating many different models. This second is about modelling capital and revenue funding. The third is on land and building development issues.
Making an impact: How housing associations can measure their effect on people's health
Authors: Molyneux Peter
Published: August 2011

Health impact assessment (HIA) is emerging as a useful way of ascertaining whether housing‐related activities have a positive or negative effect on people's health. The article outlines the key elements of the process and the way in which it can be adopted as part of housing agencies practice.
Extra care housing: A review of the effectiveness of extra care housing for older people
Authors: Vallely Sarah
Published: August 2011

Extra care housing is increasingly prominent as a strategic solution to the issues presented by an ageing population and low demand in traditional sheltered housing and (in some cases) as an alternative to residential care. However, it is proving difficult to assess rigorously its long‐term benefits and cost‐effectiveness compared with other housing and care models ‐ a task which must be undertaken in preparation for the Supporting People regime. This article reviews Anchor's own research on extra care housing and is intended to stimulate a wide‐ranging debate on the methodological difficulties that such an agenda represents.
Extra care: Assessing the need and location
Authors: King Nigel
Published: August 2011

The two previous articles set out a typology of extra care housing and support for older people, and outlined funding. The last in the series describes how to decide if a frail elderly scheme is required, what model is most needed and in which location.The process of reaching a decision on the need for some form of extra care provision is essentially, first, an analysis of the supply of specialist housing and support provision and services, and second, an assessment of demand and trends for these services in a defined locality.
Misplaced and forgotten: People with learning disabilities in residential homes for older people
Authors: Thompson David
Published: August 2011

A significant number of people with learning disabilities live in nursing and residential homes for older people. Based on research undertaken by the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, this article describes why they entered these services and their lives once there. It raises serious concerns about their quality of life and challenges learning disability services to meet better the needs of people with learning disabilities as they age.
The Care Standards Act 2000: The new regulatory framework
Authors: Convery Linda
Published: August 2011

The Care Standards Act 2000 was introduced in July 2000 and will come into force in April 2002. With only a few months to go, the Government has at last produced a raft of secondary legislation, which has to be in place by the time the Act is in force.
Group Dynamics: A report from the Audit Commission
Authors: Harker Maurice
Published: August 2011

The way that the housing association sector organises itself is changing rapidly. Housing associations ‐ registered social landlords (RSLs) ‐ are individually registered by the Housing Corporation. Their performance is monitored at the level of individual organisations. But threequarters of all RSL homes are now part of a formal ‘group’ of two or more organisations. Subsidiaries for care services are part of this pattern, and this report also looks at two examples where they have been floated off as separate organisations.
Care staff recruitment and retention: What is happening in the independent care sector?
Authors: O'Kell Stephen
Published: August 2011

This article is based on a project funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (O'Kell, 2002), which has been undertaken to provide a snapshot of the issues affecting the independent care home sector at the present time, prior to the introduction of the National Minimum Standards for care homes in April 2002. A range of issues relating to care staff recruitment and retention are reviewed and good practice is highlighted.
Training together: The logical answer for joined‐up practice?
Authors: Smith Paul
Published: August 2011

The Training Together report was commissioned and written by Housing Potential UK (HPUK) and funded by the Department for Local Government and the Regions. The remit was to consider the impact training can have on joint working. The research assessed good practice in the provision of both ad hoc training and formal qualifications. It found that the scope for joint training is extensive and that Supporting People gives a framework to enable its delivery at a local level.
Housing Options — developing autism services
Authors: Morey Nick , Woolrych Richard
Published: August 2011

Housing Options is an independent advisory service for people with learning disabilities, their relatives and housing and care providers. Housing Options wanted to promote the development of opportunities for those with autism, to help those growing up and wanting their own home. A two‐year project has begun with help from the Shirley Foundation, to review need, demand and the range of existing services, look at what services local authorities, providers and families want and provide information and guidance to help with service development.
The impact of Supporting People on housing association/agency relationships
Authors: Wood Tristan
Published: August 2011

The basis of current working relationships between housing associations and managing agents was established by FLAP ‐ a financial and legal advisory panel co‐ordinated by the National Housing Federation. As part of the ODPM's preparatory work for the introduction of Supporting People, its successor, FLAP2, has been meeting to draft agreements which will enable such partnerships to continue in the post‐April 2003 environment. Tristan Wood, a member of both panels, sets out the proposed arrangements and the key issues that have arisen in discussions to date.
Supporting People
Authors: Porteus Jeremy
Published: August 2011

Supporting People is arguably the most comprehensive and radical overhaul of housing‐related support services to date. Much of its success will depend on how providers take the policy forward in practice.
Housing for young people: New developments in legislation, ways of working and prevention
Authors: Jackson Alastair
Published: August 2011

This article looks at some of the housing issues facing young people. It summarises recent legislative changes and considers the challenge posed by the Homelessness Act to develop effective multiagency responses to preventing homelessness among young people. The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 imposed new and stronger duties on social services to support young people before and after leaving care. The Homelessness Act introduced a new duty on local authorities to draw up a strategy to prevent homelessness and the recent Priority Need Order extended entitlement to housing help to include homeless young people. The measures outlined in this article should help challenge the current patchy practice of inter‐agency co‐operation, and promote a strategy for better co‐ordinated and more effective ways of dealing with the particular housing needs of young people who have left home or care.
Local housing strategies for people with learning disabilities: Creating a plan that survives its publication
Authors: Whitehouse Ken
Published: August 2011

The White Paper on learning disability has asked housing and social services to work together to expand housing, care and support options. The DoH and ODPM have recently issued new joint guidance. Learning disability partnership boards have been asked to develop local housing strategies for people with learning disabilities by the winter of 2002/3. Several authorities have already completed work on housing strategies for people with learning disabilities. This article is about one of these, recently published by Southdown Housing and West Sussex County Council: the preparation of the strategy, some comments on strategic planning in the public sector and ideas which might benefit other authorities engaged with their own local housing strategies.
Assessing performance (2): Reviewing the sheltered housing service
Authors: Reeves Mark , Thompson Lyn
Published: August 2011

Supporting People, in conjunction with Best Value, creates an urgent requirement for those who manage sheltered housing to review the services they provide. Both the wider strategic, financial and logistical framework within which sheltered housing operates and the quality of service provided to service users must be appraised by all providers in order to be prepared for these two key regimes. The CSHS Code of Practice for Sheltered Housing and Related Services for Older People in the Community, and Starfish Consulting's Appraisal Toolkit for Sheltered Housing have been designed to be used by sheltered housing providers to prepare themselves fully for Supporting People day ‐ 1st April 2003.
Assessing performance (3): A resettlement service for homeless and vulnerable parents
Authors: Tischler Victoria , Gregory Peter
Published: August 2011

The aim of the research described in this paper was to examine the housing and resettlement needs of homeless and vulnerably housed parents, in order to inform the development of a family outreach support worker service for this population. Focus groups and individual semi‐structured interviews were used. This exploratory study has demonstrated that both homeless and housed families have complex and multiple needs that can be met by resettlement services.
The families and friends of homeless and vulnerable people: Homelessness is more than just nowhere to live
Authors: Durkacz Stefan
Published: August 2011

This article is based on recent research which set out to map the social networks of homeless people and find out about their hopes and aspirations, as well as their past and present lives. Action research was conducted with service users and staff from Thames Reach Bondway, St Basil's and Alone in London. Staff interviewed and worked with a group of homeless people from very different backgrounds over six months. The findings and recommendations have now been published in the report Dreams Deferred. The report also contains a toolkit for generic homelessness support workers to enable them to discuss social networks with the service user in a structured and formal way.
Healthy homes, healthier lives: Linking health, housing and social care services for older people
Authors: Adams Sue
Published: August 2011

The Government's drive to improve the overall health of the population, by tackling health inequalities and measures such as reducing falls and ending fuel poverty, has created a policy framework to address the housing related aspects of health. Opportunities for the NHS and local authorities to work with the voluntary sector to achieve these aims mean that there are new possibilities for wide‐ranging, innovative responses to improving people's health by tackling housing issues.Care & Repair England has undertaken research which examines how home improvement agencies (HIAs) are working with health‐sector partners to bring about health improvement through housing‐related initiatives and services.The resulting report, Healthy Homes, Healthier Lives, brings together key evidence that demonstrates the beneficial impact of improved housing conditions on health and examines the current policy context. A spectrum of joint projects is profiled including schemes providing information and training for health and care sector staff, a range of joint approaches to falls prevention, hospital discharge services and initiatives to address fuel poverty and cold, damp housing.
Choice of where and how you live: How families can create new solutions to a familiar problem
Authors: King Nigel
Published: August 2011

The White Paper Valuing People said the aim for people with learning disability should be choice of where and how you live. This is rarely the experience to date. A publication has been written for family carers, social workers and others who want to find out more about the various housing and support options for people with learning disabilities. It explains the choices, how to go about getting housing and what support people can find. Six individuals and their families allowed us to describe their different ways of creating housing and support arrangements. It was prepared by Nigel King and Sarah West of Housing Options for the Mencap City Foundation.
The National Service Framework for Older People: Bringing housing into the picture
Authors: Thomas Fiona
Published: August 2011

The National Consortium for Sheltered Housing (ERoSH) is responsible for promoting the benefits of sheltered, or as some providers say, retirement housing as a main component of community care. It's also responsible for raising awareness of the work of those working in sheltered housing, increasing joint working between sheltered housing, health and social services professionals, and identifying and promoting working practice. This article looks at how the practitioners involved are developing the new role for sheltered housing which has a broader scope and purpose to suit the national agenda.
Leaving home: The housing aspirations of young disabled people
Authors: Dean Jo
Published: August 2011

This article explores the housing experiences and aspirations of young disabled people in Scotland. Those who leave the family home in crisis experience several housing moves before settling; those who leave in a planned way tend to stay in their first home. Young people aspiring to leave the parental home are limited to a social housing tenancy, as a result partly of their economic circumstance and partly of a lack of knowledge of other choices. Social care professionals need to pay closer attention to assessing housing aspirations and helping young people consider all options. This should be an ongoing aspect of supporting all young disabled people.
Assistive technology and older people: Listening to their views
Authors: Tinker Anthea , Mccreadie Claudine , Turner‐Smith Alan
Published: August 2011

The growing proportion of older people in the United Kingdom requires policies that are cost‐effective and responsive to their needs. Both these factors have led to growing emphasis on policies which enable older people to remain in homes of their own. Older people are becoming more vociferous in expressing their views and are being encouraged to do this. This article reports on three pieces of research funded by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) which have attempted to draw on the views of older people about assistive technology and its role in staying at home policies.
How do you measure success? A framework for measuring performance across services for people sleeping rough
Authors: Penny Mike , Owen Katie
Published: August 2011

This article describes a system for measuring performance in Edinburgh, developed across all services working with people sleeping rough. This performance framework is based on outcomes rather than processes. A single monitoring system has been developed that is used by a wide range of services. Monitoring is built around a matrix of change, mapping changes in the life circumstances of people using services. Data can be collated from all services and translated into strategic performance. Although this approach presents major challenges for all partners, it offers a major improvement in how services are monitored.
Resettled older homeless people: What works and reasons for failures
Authors: Crane Maureen , Warnes Anthony
Published: August 2011

This paper examines the housing and support needs of older homeless people when they are resettled. Evidence is from a longitudinal study of the resettlement of 64 older homeless people, which monitored their progress for two years after they were rehoused. The subjects were rehoused in various types of accommodation: independent and sheltered flats, shared houses and residential care homes. At the end of 24 months, 31% had either abandoned their accommodation or been evicted. Several housing factors had an impact on settledness and tenancy sustainment: the condition of the tenancies, problems with co‐tenants and the responses of housing workers to the clients' problems and needs. A review of supported housing for older homeless people is required, including the role of residential homes for people with mental health and alcohol problems.
Connecting vulnerable people to their communities: Easy to say and hard to do?
Authors: Poll Carl
Published: August 2011

One of Valuing People's central principles is that people with learning disabilities will be included in society. But how do service providers do that? This article suggests that instead of services' attention being directed towards needs and deficits, it is more important to concentrate on people's strengths and capacities. From the engagement in the mutual exchange of community involvement comes a sense of belonging, of safety, of importance and entitlement. A method is described that starts with an inventory of someone's capacity, then a corresponding list of the assets and resources of the community and finally building mutually beneficial partnerships between local disabled individuals and other individuals, organisations and associations.
Community development with a care and support agenda: Is it achievable?
Authors: Quilgars Deborah
Published: August 2011

Care and support agendas have tended to focus on the need to develop effective services to meet individualised needs within communities of interest. In contrast, community development and regeneration policy have concentrated on the needs of the broader ‘community’ but with little regard to support and care. Rarely do these two important policy domains meet in practice. A three‐year pilot initiative, the Hull Community Care Development Project, aimed to develop the capacity of local communities to respond to their own support and ‘community care’ needs. An independent evaluation documented how such an approach could begin to bridge community and care, and how this produced new challenges, communities prioritising broad neighbourhood issues over specific care and support concerns.
Developing housing options for prison leavers: A link worker scheme for those with mental health and multiple needs
Authors: Fitzpatrick Rob
Published: August 2011

Revolving Doors Agency is currently developing an experimental housing project in Islington for prison leavers with mental health and multiple needs. The article summarises the strategic context and research that demonstrates the need for such services, provides an outline for a model of practice and provides recommendations for the development of housing options for vulnerable prison leavers.
Continuing care retirement communities: Description and an evaluation
Authors: King Nigel
Published: August 2011

The last edition of the Journal carried an introduction to retirement communities. Hartrigg Oaks is a non‐profit‐making community, developed without government subsidy, developed by the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, and has become well‐known among those interested in different housing and social care for older people. Modelled on American continuing care retirement communities (CCRC), this retirement village has recently been the subject of a three‐year evaluation (Croucher et al, 2003). This article gives information about Hartrigg Oaks, and some of the findings of the evaluation.
Supporting People: Issues facing registered social landlords
Authors: Wood Tristan
Published: August 2011

In 1998 the Government announced its plans to introduce a single stream of funding to finance housing‐related support services to vulnerable people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The new Supporting People funding regime for housing with support began in April last year. In October the Government announced an independent review of the programme to look at what the grant is being used for, variations between local authorities' costs and patterns of provision, and where savings from other local budgets might have been made. The Journal is now presenting a series that gives several perspectives on the programme. This first looks at the impact on housing providers and suggests ways forward which balance the need for change with that for stability.
User involvement in supported housing: More than just ticking the box
Authors: Mordey Marc , Crutchfield Jonathan
Published: August 2011

Service users' involvement was one of the supplementary objectives in the Supporting People monitoring framework. This article looks at what it might mean in practice. In common with other providers of support services, Southern Focus Trust has seized the opportunity presented by the framework to review its policy and practices. The report produced, Sharing the Driving, describes the progress made by a major regional provider, with some lessons that may be of wider value.
Supporting independence: The emerging role of technology
Authors: Doughty Kevin
Published: August 2011

As the life expectation of the British population increases, so will the need for community care services to minimise the effects of ill‐health and improve the quality of life for older people. The article provide examples of suitable assistive technology and considers how comprehensive services that make use of such technology can be developed and managed.
Fall detectors: Do they work or reduce the fear of falling?
Authors: Brownsell S , Hawley M
Published: August 2011

The fear of falling in older people can affect health, well‐being, care needs and quality of life. Fall‐monitoring equipment that can automatically raise a call for assistance is increasingly being developed, and may reduce the fear of falling. This study sought to discover the views of users and providers on technology of this type of and to quantify the impact fall detectors have on the fear of falling. The results of the study suggest that fall‐monitoring equipment is not considered routinely as part of a care package, and knowledge of devices is poor. A trial of automatic fall detectors provided indicated that they may reduce fear of falling for certain users and so should be considered in falls management, but more evidence and understanding are required to appreciate both the benefits and shortfalls of providing equipment of this sort.
Housing people with complex needs: Finding an alternative to traditional service models
Authors: Sergeant E , Brown Garry
Published: August 2011

This article describes the findings of research on the housing support needs of people with challenging behaviour, undertaken between 1998 and 2001 and completed in Aberdeen as part of the closure of long‐term hospitals for people with learning disabilities. The problem faced at the beginning of the research was the failure of the traditional models of supported housing to meet more complex and challenging needs. Solutions were required that allowed for choice and which are cost‐effective, provide high levels of support and have flexibility. Key to this was the housing and support model. The findings have enabled Aberdeen to develop flexible solutions offering a range of support options, including the use of assistive technology to enhance support.
Inclusion in the mainstream: How those needing support fare in mainstream housing programmes
Authors: Hall Claire
Published: August 2011

This article considers how current national policies could include disadvantaged groups or people with disabilities so that they have more equality of opportunity in the housing system. It looks at identifying needs, the delivery of social housing through the Housing Corporation and housing associations, and the social housing options of rented and low‐cost home‐ownership schemes. It also explores the way forward and some of the challenges involved for government and professionals if they are to help vulnerable people or those with disabilities to live in more ordinary housing. In National Service Frameworks and other guidance the Government expects special groups to have the same rights and choices over where and how they live. For example Valuing People, the learning disability White Paper, tells us that people with learning disabilities can live successfully in different types of housing and can cope with different forms of tenure. This is true of other vulnerable people too, yet many still live with their families or are offered ‘placements’ or specialist homes. How can we use housing policy to ensure we can meet some of these challenges?
Mental health, social inclusion and housing: Mapping the issues for service providers
Authors: Johnson Robin
Published: August 2011

Social inclusion means ensuring that all individuals, despite any particular perceived ‘differentness’ (Sayce, 2000; Harrison & Davis, 2001) or disadvantage in life, may nevertheless feel at home in the world and find a sense of belonging in their local community. But the most important place to feel at home is at home.
Tomorrow's big problem: The growing recognition of a need for autism services
Authors: Harker Maurice
Published: August 2011

Moving to a new home is a major step for anyone. People with autistic spectrum disorders face many difficulties with this transition, but help and information are limited. The Shirley Foundation funded a project by Housing Options, an advisory service for learning disability, to promote the development of housing and support options for people with autism. It looked at existing services, what people say is needed and how to improve them. The challenge for the next five years appeared to be a better understanding of the range of existing need and provision, improvement in the choice available, information and help for people and their families seeking to plan for the future and strategies for services (in the light of Valuing People) to include autism. This article outlines the finding of a recent report, Tomorrow's Big Problem, and in particular looks at information available on the need for services.
Poverty and low income: Tackling the under‐claiming of welfare benefits for older people
Authors: Davey Lynne
Published: August 2011

The challenge of poverty and low income is a key issue for organisations concerned with groups of the population at risk of social exclusion. In particular, poorer older people who qualify for benefits remain the largest group most likely not to claim those benefits. Many millions of pounds are languishing in government coffers belonging to those who most need it. Recent reports such as All Our Tomorrows (ADSS/LGA, 2003) highlight the importance of a decent income to a good quality of life for older people.Housing 21, which provides housing, care and support services for older people in England, encourages its residents to claim their full entitlement of benefits by offering advice and support from its two welfare benefit managers. This article highlights how their work has really made a difference to the lives of older people and suggests what more needs to be done.
Meeting complex needs in social care
Authors: Rankin Jennifer , Regan Sue
Published: August 2011

Too many health and social care services are failing to meet people's complex needs. In this paper, ‘complex needs’ is presented as a framework to help understand multiple interlocking needs that span health and social issues. The concept encompasses mental health problems, combined with substance misuse and/or disability, including learning disability, as well as social exclusion. The paper outlines a strategy for promoting the well‐being and inclusion of people with complex needs. At the heart of this strategy is a new kind of delivery model: connected care centres, a type of bespoke social care service, a model which has been endorsed by the Social Exclusion Unit (SEU). In addition, the paper describes how new responses from existing services can promote better support for people with complex needs, such as a reformed commissioning process and a new ‘navigational’ role for the social care worker.
Supporting People: Slicing the cake
Authors: Ramsden Sue
Published: August 2011

The question of how local authorities will manage fixed budgets for the Supporting People (SP) programme raises concerns among service users and providers. These concerns are compounded by the introduction of the new distribution formula that is intended eventually to even out spending across authorities; some people will see their slice of the cake grow, and for others their slice will be nibbled away.It is unfortunate, if perhaps inevitable, that the debate about SP has become mired with the issue of funding. Quality and continuous improvement have become confused with the determination of value for money. Commissioners and providers squabbling over funding streams have compromised the ideals of person‐centred services. But is it all too easy to focus on the difficulties within the programme? This article will examine the debate over eligibility for SP funding in the light of the wider aims of the programme. It will consider the implications for service users and providers and look at the broader influences on the climate of housing with care and support.
Supporting good nutrition for people with learning disabilities
Authors: Kennedy Karen , Pannell Jenny , Summers Neil
Published: August 2011

Nutrition and exercise matter for everyone, including people with learning disabilities. Poor nutrition and lack of exercise can have adverse effects on emotional and physical health and well‐being, which then affect the ability to cope with the demands of everyday life, including independent living and enjoyment of voluntary or paid work, college and leisure activities. Support staff need training and advice to understand this if they are to facilitate optimal quality of life.
Introducing assistive technology (AT) into the homes of older people: The REKI (REading/KIng's) research project
Authors: Tinker Anthea
Published: August 2011

The research reported here focuses on how far, and at what cost, the housing stock can be modified to accommodate the assistive technology (AT) to enable older people to remain in their own homes. The conclusion is that the adaptability of the housing depends on a range of factors and costs. Older people welcome AT when it addresses a felt need. This article answers some of the frequently asked questions about the project.
What makes older people choose residential care, and are there alternatives?
Authors: Stilwell Pippa , Kerslake Andrew
Published: August 2011

This article summarises some results of an interview survey of older people recently admitted to care homes which aimed to estimate how many might have been able to take advantage of Extra Care housing provision as an alternative. Information was collected via interview and semi‐structured questionnaire relating to 36 older people, their circumstances prior to admission and the factors which were decisive in directing them towards residential care. It was estimated that two‐thirds of the older people included in the survey could have benefited actively from Extra Care provision, either currently or at the time of an earlier move.
Electronic assistive technology: Benefits for all?
Authors: Gatward John
Published: August 2011

For more than a decade there has been a powerful drive towards providing care services to older and disabled people in their own homes. Technology is beginning to provide devices and systems to help do this in a practical way that not only benefits service users and their carers but also has the potential to be very cost‐effective. However, the ethics of telecare will increasingly demand attention. We will also need to address the problems of social isolation likely to be exposed by care systems designed to use electronic assistive technology.
Community alarm services: The Carlisle experience Putting the quality back into quality assurance
Authors: Brewis Laurie
Published: August 2011

Carlisle Housing Association Ltd (CHA), created in December 2002 as a consequence of the transfer of Carlisle City Council's housing stock (7,200 properties), is located some 12 miles from the Scottish border in North Cumbria, in an area with a local population of more than 100,000 people. CHA is a subsidiary of the Riverside Group. CHA aims to deliver a sustainable community alarm service that aids the independent living options for its customers, with a focus on health and social care provision in the area.The purpose of this article is to set out the evolutionary process undertaken to develop the CHA community alarm service, rather than to explain the operational aspects of assistive technology. It aims to identify the co‐ordinated, person‐centred approach we have developed to assist vulnerable individuals to embark on a journey that fulfils their aspirations to remain as safe and independent as possible in a familiar environment.
Youth homelessness in Britain and Australia: The same story?
Authors: Robinson Colin
Published: August 2011

The article examines approaches to helping young homeless people in Britain and Australia, and concludes that the similarities far outweigh the differences.
The future commissioning of independent living services
Authors: Hogg Jo
Published: August 2011

There is great and growing interest in assisting people with learning disabilities to live in their own homes with support to promote and enhance their independence. In order to make this happen on a wider scale, access to housing has to be expanded, for example through increased use of shared ownership options for people with support needs. On the support side, there is tension between the funding criteria for Supporting People, with its focus on housing‐related support, and the need to provide a holistic and person‐centred service, as envisaged by the Valuing People White Paper. Despite this difficulty, creative solutions are being found by local authorities and their partners and could be replicated elsewhere. They include the development of local KeyRing networks in the South West of England.
The need for inclusive housing design
Authors: Nickson Graham
Published: August 2011

This paper describes the principles that need to be followed by housing designers and planners to ensure that disabled people are not excluded by design from future housing development. It outlines the demographic drivers and the problem with current housing stock, and then comments on the standards that need to be applied to ensure inclusion for all members of society. If government rhetoric about building sustainable communities in which people want to live is to be matched by action, attention must be paid to the housing needs of everyone who is part of that community, including disabled people.John Grooms Housing Association (JGHA) is a leading specialist provider of wheelchair‐standard housing in England, with more than 1,200 properties.
Promoting shared ownership housing options for people with long‐term mental health problems
Authors: Caldicott Hilary
Published: August 2011

Housing options for people with severe mental health problems are limited, and often restricted to types of property and areas which most of us would not choose to live in. Accommodation of good quality, in a welcoming and secure neighbourhood, can have a very positive effect on mental health service users' sense of well‐being. This article describes an innovation aimed at increasing housing choice for this particularly disadvantaged group, namely the shared ownership programme run by Advance Housing and Support Limited, a registered social landlord working across Central and Southern England with people with either a mental health problem or a learning disability.
Maintaining tenancies: Gender differences among young people living independently
Authors: Harding Jamie
Published: August 2011

A change to the homelessness legislation means that more local authorities will need to secure accommodation for 16 and 17 year olds. Research conducted in Newcastle‐upon‐Tyne identified a number of factors that affected whether people in this age group conducted successful tenancies. Young women were particularly likely to fail if they were over‐confident, and the services that they benefited most from were advice about their tenancy conditions and rent obligations. In contrast, young men were more likely to fail if they felt inadequately advised about independent living, and so benefited from intensive visiting support. The evidence of gender differences, together with young people's reluctance to be provided with advice about their tenancy, presents a major challenge to service providers.
Military history: The experiences of people who become homeless after leaving military service
Authors: Lemos Gerard
Published: August 2011

A disproportionate number of homeless people have spent time in the armed forces. This study used interviews with ex‐homeless people with a Services background to record their individual experiences and look at the factors which might increase the likelihood that someone will become homeless after leaving the Services. Disrupted family backgrounds were a feature of the lives of the youngest respondents. Alcohol dependency, mental health problems and relationship breakdown featured strongly among the group as a whole, although they were associated more strongly with older respondents. A central conclusion is that help with housing should be complemented by greater access to emotional and psychological support services during and after the period of transition from military to civilian life.
Deinstitutionalisation and community living: An international perspective
Authors: Mansell Jim
Published: August 2011

This paper reviews progress in deinstitutionalisation and community living for people with learning disabilities. The effects of replacing institutional care on residents are summarised and some emerging problems identified.
A strategic approach to support services for refugees?
Authors: Perry John
Published: August 2011

The Government has called for a strategic approach to support services for people given refugee status, and has itself adopted a new strategy, Integration Matters. This article discusses the implications of such a strategy at local level, and the difficulties and challenges faced by local authorities and other public services setting out to deliver a strategic approach to services for refugees. It argues that government policy is only partially supportive of such approaches, and that much more could be done to ensure that integrated services are in place at local level.
Future need and demand for supported accommodation for people with learning disabilities in England
Authors: Emerson Eric
Published: August 2011

Despite changes in the nature of supported accommodation services for people with learning disabilities, little progress was made during the '70s, '80s and '90s in addressing the extent of unmet need. While the advent of Supporting People has more recently led to an increase in the volume of provision, unmet need continues to be a major concern to people with learning disabilities and their families. There is good reason to believe that, as a result of changes in the demographic profile of people with learning disabilities, changes in expectations and changes in the pattern of informal care, this issue will become substantially more pressing over the coming two decades. This paper attempts to estimate the nature and extent of increased need.
Independent living for disabled people: Making it happen
Authors: Aspis Simone
Published: August 2011

The Government's 2005 Green Paper on Adult Social Care put forward a vision of ‘independence, well‐being and choice’. While the notion of independent living was central to the vision and to the substantive policy proposals presented in the Green Paper, there was no definition of what ‘independent living’ actually means. The British Council of Disabled People supports many of the ideas in the Green Paper, such as the proposed introduction of individualised budgets. It also has concerns about the continuing lack of basic rights to receive support and to live independently in one's own home, and about the way in which the new vision will be financed and implemented.
Delivering housing care and support services for Asian elders
Authors: Santokhee Manna
Published: August 2011

Changes in Asian communities leave some elderly people in need of support from outside the family. The article describes Aashna House, a home for frail older Asians which has succeeded in making community living for elders both acceptable and attractive.
Why is commissioning with black people such hard work?
Authors: David Cashain
Published: August 2011

The task of providing care and support services for vulnerable people from black communities for commissioners is often like a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea… or so it seems. However, an understanding of the interactions between peoples at micro level can aid in the delivery of a larger agenda, for example when delivering racial equality. In this article I profile a model of racial identity development which can shed some light on the planning of services in local areas.
The changing housing and support needs of Irish people in London
Authors: Randall Geoffrey
Published: August 2011

Research into the housing and support needs of Irish people in London suggests that in future years need is more likely to be concentrated among older members of the community than new arrivals. This could have important consequences for the future plans of organisations providing housing and support for this community; there is likely to be a need for more housing for older people and those with special needs such as alcohol use, along with provision of culturally sensitive support. The research was carried out in London, but other areas with Irish communities may be experiencing similar changes.
Reducing barriers for refugees accessing choice‐based lettings schemes
Authors: Westerby Rachel
Published: August 2011

Refugee Housing Association (RHA) has provided housing and support for refugees and asylum seekers across the UK for nearly 50 years. The past decade has seen four major pieces of immigration and asylum legislation, substantially changing the entitlements and needs of our client group. In addition, pressures on the overall supply of social housing have led to the development of new ways of accessing accommodation that present a range of challenges, both for our client group and for RHA as a provider of housing services.
Discrimination, service provision and minority ethnic user views: Evidence from research
Authors: Chahal Kusminder
Published: August 2011

The introduction of the new Commission for Racial Equality Code of Practice on Racial Equality in Housing (CRE, 2005) highlights the continued need to monitor and respond to the disadvantage that minority ethnic people experience both in the housing market and generally in life chances. Although there has been improvement for some minority ethnic communities, overall differences still persist in life chances, educational opportunities and type and quality of housing available to people from minority ethnic communities.
More than flats and job training: Supporting homeless and vulnerable people to achieve social and emotional aspirations
Authors: Lemos Gerard , Bacon Francis
Published: August 2011

Support for homeless people is best provided within a social ethic that stresses similarity and connection. A good life, for those currently without homes as for everyone else, is built on a positive identity, family and friends, relationships, and home and work. The article describes an online network and a new report that offer help in providing support of this kind to enable people to regain control of their lives.
Implementing telecare: practical experiences
Authors: Brownsell S , Blackburn S , Aldred H , Porteus J
Published: August 2011

The launch of the £80m Preventative Technology Grant in 2006 has resulted in a considerable interest in telecare. Yet where in this emerging area should efforts be concentrated, and what lessons can be learnt from previous trials to aid future deployments? Based on practical experience and the work of the Housing & Telecare Learning & Improvement Networks at the Care Service Improvement Partnership (CSIP), Department of Health, this paper presents some of the common issues experienced and identified when implementing telecare. It makes a number of useful suggestions on how organisations working across housing, health and social care can make best use of telecare when planning, commissioning and delivering services.