Housing Group ‘More than Bricks and Mortar’ Preston, 30 th April 2014
Housing Group: Co ChairTerry Sullivan Co ChairWendy Cocks
Housing Policy and Context Joe Oldman Age UK
Table Discussion: Introduce yourselves and your local area What are the housing issues for older people in your area? Please record these on the purple paper Can each table feed back one shared issue
‘Location, Location, Location’ Housing options – my experience Wirral Older People’s Parliament
Bringing it back together
Housing Options Advice in Wigan Angela Durkin Wigan Borough Council John McArdle Age UK Wigan Borough
Table Activity: Who would you ask if you needed housing advice? What support is available to older people in your area?
Information & Advice about later life housing & care Where do we go from here? Sue Adams, CEO, Care & Repair England
Info & Advice: Current Official Government Gov.uk – taken over nearly all other sources of info Councils’ Legal Obligations: Housing Authority – obliged to offer housing advice (issue of interpretation eg homelessness) Social Services – focus is on Assessment of Needs but even if ineligible for publicly arranged social care, should give information about alternative sources of support and advice
Info & Advice: Current Voluntary Sector – National/ Older people specific AgeUK Elderly Accommodation Counsel &FirstStop Independent Age Voluntary Sector – National/ Issue specific Where to start! General - CAB Health / medical conditions (Alzheimers, RNIB, RNID, MD, Arthritis etc etc etc…….) Money/ debt/ retirement housing/ homelessness
Info & Advice: Current Voluntary Sector – local Specialist (subjects/ older people eg CAB, AgeUK, (some Care & Repair) Generalist neighbourhood & Community Groups Special interest groups eg. Health Other not for profit (paid for) Consumers Association
Info & Advice: Current Commercial Financial advisers Legal Major contractors eg. Capita, A4E etc Let alone – online sources……….
Trying to bring it together EAC FirstStop – independent, impartial information and advice specifically about housing, care and related finance Backed by Dept for Comm. & Local Government Aims to compliment - national information, tel advice line and local partners offering in depth service, including Wigan Working with AgeUK, Foundations and Indep Age
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New legal Duty: Care Bill Care Bill – LA obliged to provide information about: Care & support services available How to access these How to obtain independent financial advice Statutory Guidance may promote integration, possibly including housing
Which way will your LA go? Opportunity Threat Could have visionary, fully integrated information and advice housing, care & finance information & advice service Bottom line minimalist signposting/ list of providers
Doing it for ourselves? Silverlinks ‘Pass it on’ housing & care options workshops Thinking and planning ahead events ‘Peer to Peer’ information, advice and support
Looking forward together Support a positive, active ageing vision and ethos to underpin provision Share information & evidence to build the economic case for I&A It is all our futures…..