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
Appreciate various 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 ( 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

7. Most older people live in ‘ordinary’ housing – primarily terraces, semis & flats
Most don’t want to move – a minority might consider moving but have few realistic/ attractive options

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 Local Authorities NHS Housing Sector
Community/Older people
Third sector
Planning
CCGs/ GPs
Developers
OPAGs& Forums
Voluntary groups
Social Services
Acute
Housing Associations
Tenants/ Residents
Services (housing/ health/ care )
Housing/ Env Health
Allied Health Professions
Services eg.HIA
N’hood/City/ Village/ Town/
Disability/ specific issue
Public Health
Architects/ designers etc
Faith/ interest groups
National/ local

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? Twitter @cr_england
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…