1. ‘Ask not what your country can do for you…
‘Ask not what your country can do for you….’ Housing Lin Conference 11 March2016
Lynn Lewis, Director of Community Services
Denise Brennan, Head of Strategy and Policy
Guinness Care and Support
Introductions -
Pat – Lynn and Denise
Depending on the size of the group – introductions which organisation

2. The Context “ask not what your country can do for you….”
Government’s concerns
What do they think the solution is?
What do they want from us?
But…….
Denise
I always thought that quote was from Churchill – why the quote? Challenging times - we are in the context of the shrinking state – expectations of public bodies (charities etc.) to grow to fill that space?
Government’s concerns
We know the government’s is concerned about the growing number of older people with long term conditions with high health and care need but also in context of budget cuts and localisation
Recent speech by Alistair Burt Minister for Community and Social Care concerns about
Long term conditions in growing older population
Number of long term conditions due to lifestyle- obesity, alcohol, smoking, exercise Social isolation and loneliness impacts on health
What does he think the solution is?
Not relying on the state for all health and social care - not passive recipients
People taking responsibility for own health and wellbeing
Communities and families providing support
Focus on health and wellbeing initiatives
Tackle social isolation by helping people to engage in social and communal activities
Importance of good housing linked to health and social care to prevent hospitalisation - and delaying onset of needing care
Extra care housing and aids and adaptations/telecare
What do they want from us?
Housing associations not just bricks and motor – we house older people from lower socio economic groups which have highest levels of long term conditions and need for social care and can’t fund it themselves
Well placed to support prevention through health and wellbeing initiatives
But
Which bit of government are we talking about? Health like the idea of prevention and keeping people of hospital as long as possible
Are housing associations under attack from other parts of government? Not a positive image for government?
How are housing associations responding to -1% rents
Other challenges re future funding of housing support –LHA DWP/DCLG review

3. Are we up for the challenge?
Denise
So are we up for the challenge?
Who are we?
GCS part of TGP 60,000 customers
GCS housing association, care at home, support services for older people and care homes, LD, Foyer
How could we meet the challenge?
It couldn’t come at a much worse time for housing associations – in particular -1% on rents for next five years -faced with significant choices
- £Ms of cost reductions
- new developments? At what tenure and affordable or social rent
But what about current tenants?
OP not significantly affected by welfare reform
But AA proposals
What could it mean for us (TGP) ?
Does it fit our vision? We are here to improve people’s lives, and create possibilities for them so yes
But who would it be aimed at and what could it mean?

4. Who are our older customers?
What does older mean?
How many older customers do we have?
What do we know about their health, care needs and economic status?
How satisfied are they with our service?
Do we know what service they want?
Lynn
The first question we have to ask ourselves is do we know which customers we are talking about?
No Mick Jagger is not one of our customers – but does highlight that there is no definition of an ‘older person’
What does older people mean?
Not just older people living in HOP but also number of older people living in general needs –Discussed in focus group – fit as a fiddle 90 year old and 40 year old with long term conditions and disabilities - should it be focused on ‘vulnerable’ people?
All know that baby boomers have different expectations
How many older customers do we currently have?
The numbers
(from single housing system – lead tenant – 10% not accounted for)
Designated housing for older people
Leasehold –
Shared ownership
General needs – ( ) – totals over 55 = 11,
(158 sites (including extra care) managed by 98 Scheme Managers and/or RLA’s
100 alarm only sites and 38 leasehold )
So if we are talking about just older people a considerable number of current tenants – and an ageing population
What do we know about their health, care needs and economic status? (more data to come from Andrew’s team to add in or ONC info)
- Estimated 1,000 TGP customers likely to have dementia (from the TGP report ‘Becoming a Dementia Friendly Organisation’, May 2015)
Health and economic status
How satisfied are they with our current service?
How satisfied?
Currently HOP 79%
Currently 65+ general needs 80%
Currently leasehold %
Would this initiative improve customer satisfaction?
What service do they want
What do they want? Some focus groups but we need to know more……..part of the service offer for older people – they were definitely up for more activities and were concerned about social isolation for some people - but need to ensure that not the nanny state proxy – how activities and services are offered is very important – and how they would be paid for
Older people– research – dementia report - fits with what all customers might want from a service
Need feedback from older people in general needs and 55+ next stage

5. Health and Wellbeing - Active Ageing
Assisting customers to live as healthy and happy a life as they are able
Support healthy lifestyles
Mitigate social isolation
Engage with the community
Customers as active citizens
Digital inclusion
Access to assistive technology
Care
Denise
So what could it mean for our older and vulnerable customers?
Assisting customers to live as healthy and happy a life as they are able means different things for different people – so we need personalised approach.
Image here of one of our customers volunteering for an art exhibition - drawing the crowds in
Get the basics right - Baseline service offer for all our older people then we can add in a focus on active ageing
Then support our customers to take responsibility for their own active ageing – Aim for customers to live as healthy and happy life as they are able.
integrate into our offer - currently under review
All equals happier and healthier customers

6. Healthy Lifestyles Support healthy lifestyles Falls prevention
Healthy eating (links to local allotments/catering colleges)
Quit smoking support
Alcohol dependency reduction
Dealing with depression/mental health problems
Promote Dementia Friends
Managing long term conditions
Lynn
Supporting Healthy lifestyles – what could this mean
Chickens!!
Physical health
Activities
Information - intranet for staff to down load – website for customers to access
Linked to partners
Local initiatives:
Get gardening – allotments going -keeping chickens – link in with allotment associations - and local catering colleges
Already promoting Dementia Friends -awareness raising among customers - design of services to support people living well with dementia

7. Inclusion Social and creative activities
Bringing the community in and getting into the community – intergenerational
Active citizen
Volunteer and networks
Denise
Inclusion
To tackle social isolation , engage with the community and customers as active citizens - we all know the reports on the health impact of loneliness –not just in housing for older people but all older customers living in the community
Mitigate social isolation
Social activities - cocktail hour!! What rocks different customers boats? Not everyone into bingo – 50s cocktail hour (not sure how that fits in with alcohol message)
Need a whole range of social activities – preferably customer led – creative use of the communal space
Positive health benefits of creative activities –Festival of Creativity -and Creative Time evaluation –again building on what we are already doing -
Positive pet policy – my own particular cause– lost of research to show the positive impact of pets on wellbeing = picture of a labradoodle my favourite dog
Engage with the community
Getting customers involved in the wider community
Bringing the wider community into services
Multi generational activities (like Kissing it Better appendix a)
Promote customers as active citizens
Volunteer in services and in the community to support a number of these initiatives – Customer star awards
Education and employment

8. The digital age Customers online Assistive technology
Telecare – telehealth
The future?
Lynn
The digital age
What role in healthy and happy customers?
Getting customers on line - digital inclusion - provision of Wi-Fi in housing for older people services? –Who is doing that -or exploring cheaper options for customers
- link in with activities - intergenerational activities – stats 40% OP on line once a day
- help with social isolation - apps for health!
What assistive technology should we provide? Been around a long time Hardwired v mobile? Debates -what are other people doing?
Investigating telecare and telehealth – Tunstall visit
What does the future hold - how can we get involved?

9. Care Access to care Funding care Providing care at home
Transition to extra care
Lynn
Care
Access to care – support staff to signpost to get assessment - but harder to get (135,000 care at home funded by local authorities) – traditional Scheme manager/floating support approach
Can they afford the care themselves? - - welfare benefits advice to gain access to benefits Attendance Allowance (currently under threat) – personal budgets
Where we directly provide care at home ourselves – an offer through a hub cased approach
Some services can be transitioned to extra care
So it is whole range of activities – different aspects appealing to different people based on what they want and need – a personalised approach

10. How will we achieve this?
Context of housing for older people review
Building on what we are already doing
Integration - seamless service for our customers
Hubs
National and local partnerships
Planned programme of activities/resources
Roles and responsibilities
Denise
Context of HOP service review
Active ageing is building on what we are already doing in the context of a review of the service offer for older people –I know a lot of other housing associations have been or are currently reviewing their service offer
Updating buildings
Modern feel
Space standards
Wife
Dementia design
What services and support?
Scheme manager? RLA?
AT?
Housing Management/tenancy sustainment
How structured – who delivers the service
Are organisations here currently reviewing their service offer?
Building on what we are already doing
- Currently implementing a dementia project in our general needs housing
Creative Times and Festival of Creativity – getting staff and customers involved in creative activities
- Kissing it Better – intergenerational activities
Local good practice of local engagement and activities
Integration
- Should be a seamless service for all our older customers – looking at where our services are located near larger estates – what can we offer our older customers in general needs and how can we reach them?
- Use HOP communal rooms as hubs for wider TGP community (where near estates) – reach out to the community
- Key role for scheme manager to roll out - review of role profile
- Scheme managers as source of information and advice for older people in the community and housing officers
- Newsletter of activities – on website (postcode specific) and for Housing officers iPad
National and local partnerships
a lot going on there already – e.g. RVS –befriending services, Kissing it Better
Lots of resources available
Central team for planned programme of activities and identify resources
To drive the national partnerships
Research best practice, resources
Consult with staff and customers
Create a national programme of activities
Create toolkits for customers and staff
Populate the internet and website
Provide advice to staff on how to access local partnerships
Train staff
Evaluate
Promote externally
Grant applications
Review of roles and responsibilities (see attached) – more of a joined up organisation
- Scheme manager key member of staff for roll out
Housing management staff – to integrate with general needs customers
Central team - change customer and community engagement focus
What would it look like?
(see attached)

11. Does it stack up? Lynn How will we pay for it?
Doesn’t cost much if you get the basics right…….
Review of roles and responsibilities - partnerships
What are the funding sources?
Different /service charge SP
Health and social care funding
Customers
What is the current surplus in housing for older people
It is a question of choices

12. What’s in it for us? Healthier, happier customers
Increase in customer satisfaction
Void reduction, improved income
Reduction in housing management issues
Positive staff engagement
Positive public image
Positive relationship with government
Lynn
Customers happier with the service we offer
Customers happier and healthier
People want to move into our services, stay our of hospital longer so improve voids – pay their rent and service charge? – help with benefits
Less ASB?
Staff better job satisfaction? Evidence from our evaluation from Creative Times – but brings up the issue of how should we evaluate - can become an industry in itself
Positive public image -local news stories –again increase in wettability -word of mouth
Positive relationship with at least some parts of government - PHE if not DCLG? Better relationship at local level with local authorities and CCGs? Opportunities for additional funding??
On the negative side if we do nothing we will be left with customers who are ageing at a time when the services are shrinking
But not to be left on a negative
This is the approach that our organisation is considering at the moment - how does it fit into the wider offer for older people? How do ensure it is part of they way we do things rather than an add on? Staff crucial – It’s about loving the customers
What is in it for your organisation – your customers?
How many currently carrying out a review of housing for older people?
What do ‘the basics’ mean for your?
What healthy living/active aging

13. The Guinness Partnership The Guinness Partnership Guinness Living
‘Fit for today, fit for tomorrow’