Building Housing & Ageing Alliances Across the SW

1. Building housing & ageing alliances across the SW Sue Adams, CEO, Care & Repair England, Chair of the Housing & Ageing Alliance

2. Lessons from history? • Addressing the health and social problems arising from poor housing were key drivers of early housing improvement • Could a broad alliance make this the case again

3. Making Alliances: Starting Point • Appreciatevarious driving forces /targets/ pressures on potential allies [NHS, Social Care, Public Health, Housing, Planning) • Identify common ground • Create shared purpose • Deliver on joint initiative(s) – this can help to….. • Build working relationships - to take forward wider agenda

4. Starting Point 1: Listen Later life – what do we want from home? • Diversity of experience • Changes across life-course (50-100+yrs) • Variety of aspirations and expectations • Inequality –Limits range of realistic possibilities

5. Starting Point 2: Use the data • Where older people live – demography,housing stock profile, tenure pattern etc • Health characteristics , esp those affected by home • NHS use – admission, readmission, delayed discharge, long term health conditions • Social care use – service user profile, local provision etc

6. Housing Data • The homes we already have are the homes that the vast majority of us will be living in for the long term future • Every now home a precious resource

8. Rooted in Reality? Risk of polarisation/ false divisions that can undermine alliances eg. • Either retirement housing or lifetime homes/ inclusive design • Either adaptations & repairs or move to specialist accommodation It is all of these & more…

9. Beware Silver Bullets • Pressure/ tendency to present simplistic solutions/ silver bullets that will “solve” the housing crisis/ NHS crisis/ care crisis • Risk of overstating/ overselling single solution is that potential subsequent backlash/ loss of trust • Alliances can potentially produce a more rounded housing offer

10. Beware mono-vision • Risk of being so focussed on our personal passion/ interest/ vision that lose bigger picture • Zeitgeist – conflict/ polarisation/ divisions/ competition rather than collaboration • Alliances can appreciate other perspectives

11. Alliances across generations • Stoking of intergenerational conflict – no where more marked than access to housing. • Risk of wrong target for the blame for housing and financial market failure • Shuffling round an inadequate supply doesn’t create new homes/ address access to finance/ insecure jobs and incomes etc.

12. : ‘The triangle of independence’ Evidence on key reasons for loss of independence are inter-action between health, social, housing Multi-disciplinary approach more successful. Housing often missing link Good health Enabling housing & environment Social networks and care Independent older person Services in one area fail the person if other parts missing

13. Building Alliances

14. Common Ground • Alliances need to find common aspirations. • National Housing & Ageing Alliance’s is; ‘The H&AA believes that homes communities & housing related services should be planned and designed in ways that enable choice, control, inclusion and independence in later life’ • All members must commit to championing that wider vision as well as their particular interest/ priority Webpage Link

15. Older People’s Housing Champions National network of older activists with keen interest / passion around housing. Aims: • raise awareness of the scale and nature of the impact of poor and unsuitable housing on older people’s health and wellbeing • influence decision making and bring about improvements in policy & practice • Blog Members have variety of particular interests (health connection, accessibility, planning & engagement, social housing, inequality etc etc)

16. Beyond broad aims • Set specific, achievable, realistic tasks/ goals • Support collaboration on particular issues eg sub groups work together on topic • Share information – sounds simple – not!

17. Back to data – an output • Challenging the myths – example of infographic created with the Older People’s Champions • Population age • Household profiles/ characteristics/ • Housing stock profile • Health & Care links

18. Looking forward together • Alliances can adopt & promote a positive, vision of healthy & active ageing; and ethos of enabling choice and independence across health, housing & social care • This could underpin truly integrated local provision It is all our futures…..

19. Who? • Care & Repair England; national housing charity aims to address poor and unsuitable housing conditions amongst the older population, esp. low income home owners (est. 1986) • Pioneers local initiatives;local Care & Repair services, repair & adaptation grants, Handyperson, Housing Options Info & Advice, Healthy Homes, Older People’s Housing Action Champions • Policy shaping: Older people’s housing – Chairs Housing & Ageing Alliance & Home Adaptations Consortium, works with Government Depts - DCLG, DH, NHS England etc… www.careandrepair-england.org.uk info@careandrepair-england.org.uk Twitter @cr_england