HIAs and the Preventative Agenda Malcolm Ramsay Policy Manager - Foundations

Foundations  National Co-ordinating Body for Home Improvement Agencies (HIAs)  ODPM-funded to promote, support and develop the HIA sector Tel

HIAs and the Preventative Agenda  Home Improvement Agencies  Demand for HIA services  Preventative services provided by HIAs  Future direction of HIAs

Home Improvement Agencies  Small, not-for-profit organisations  By March 2006 there will be 180 HIAs serving 318 out of 354 local authority areas  Provide advice, support and assistance to older, disabled and vulnerable people, primarily owner occupiers  Help to repair, improve, maintain or adapt homes to meet changing needs  Provide a wide range of additional property- related low-level support services

Demand for HIA services  Over next 40 years, numbers aged to increase by 50% and numbers over 85 to increase by 100%  72% of year olds and 61% of over 85 are owner occupiers and these percentages are still increasing  Older owner-occupiers – 5.7 million and growing – 11 times the number in extra care and sheltered housing

Demand for HIA services  Regulatory Reform Order (2002) has led to reduced grant availability  Equity Release products and their take up is still less than hoped for  200,000 enquiries dealt with by HIAs in 2004  130,000 jobs completed and £95m worth of work undertaken

Preventative Services offered by HIAs  Falls and Accident Prevention  Energy Efficiency  Handyperson/Hospital Discharge  Small repairs  Housing options:“Should I stay or should I go?”  Gardening  Home security  “Core” HIA service has preventative purpose

Falls & Accident Prevention  4,800 deaths caused by falls  650,000 visits to A&E and more than 204,000 admissions  A simple wrist fracture costs £500 for emergency care  Accidental falls among the elderly cost nearly £1 billion each year

Falls & Accident Prevention Blackpool Care & Repair  Specialist Falls Prevention Team  Risk assessment carried out by Falls Prevention Officer – Home Safety Check  Necessary items installed by Handyperson, trained by an Occupational Therapist

Falls & Accident Prevention “After having the banister rails fitted…I can now go up and downstairs in a dignified manner as opposed to on hands and knees” (client of Blackpool Care & Repair)

Energy Efficiency  Exposure to cold is estimated to cause 30,000 deaths a year in the UK  Substantial public health benefits by improving thermal efficiency of dwellings and affordability of heating them

Energy Efficiency  HIA caseworkers identify “at risk” properties during initial assessment visit  Arrange for insulation and upgraded heating through various grant schemes, e.g. Warmfront, local authority grants  Pass on fuel efficiency advice as matter of course

Handyperson/Hospital Discharge  Handyperson -Wide-ranging: Prevents falls, aids hospital discharge, provides security measures, carries out minor repairs & adaptations  Hospital Discharge -Prevents re-admission to hospital by making home suitable

Handyperson Schemes “A visit, followed by a referral to Care and Repair in the space of two days meant that the necessary stair-rail was fitted most efficiently and my wife was able to be discharged the next day” (client of Northampton Care & Repair)

Bury Home from Hospital Scheme

Future direction of HIAs  Cross Tenure services  Adaptations  Small Repairs/Handyperson  Diversification of services  Health-related outcomes  Consolidation of the sector  Area based HIAs  Social Enterprise model