Agenda item

The Panel received a presentation on the Housing Support Transformation programme in relation to older people. The presentation was given by Gill Taylor, Programme Delivery Manager and was included in the agenda pack at pages 17-29.

The following points were noted in response to the discussion of the presentation:

a.    The Panel sought clarification on the hub and cluster model and whether the hubs would be located within sheltered housing.  In response, the Panel was advised that the hubs were existing sheltered housing services and the location of those hubs was selected to ensure that they were in close proximity to cluster services. Hub managers would be responsible for ensuring that all tenants in the hub were aware of the cluster services. When placing new tenants, those with higher level of support needs would be encouraged to live in a hub service providing greater access to staff and facilities.

b.    In response to a question on what was being done to support those within general needs accommodation, the Panel was advised that a key feature of the hubs was their utilisation of community spaces to increase access to services and reduce social isolation. It was hoped that networks from partner agencies could be used to spread the reach and impact of these services, including to older people with general needs accommodation.

c.    The Panel queried the role of the hubs in filling gaps in existing adult social care services. In response, officers suggested the hubs weren’t a replacement for adult social care centres but that some services could be incorporated into the community spaces. Further work was being done to understand the extent to which an outreach programme could be incorporated.

d.    In response to a question about whether there was a high void rate in sheltered housing, officers advised that there was a high void rate across both HfH properties and those commissioned by voluntary sector partners.

e.    The Panel sought assurances around whether there was enough interaction between sheltered housing and other housing services. The Panel also questioned whether there was a range of 2 or 3 bedroom properties available through sheltered housing. In response, officers advised that a lot of work was undertaken to match voids with residents who were in temporary accommodation or those who required a larger property.  Officers acknowledged that there were residents who lived in sheltered accommodation with 2 or 3 bedrooms.

f.     The Panel questioned whether good neighbour schemes were still in existence. In response, officers advised that those schemes had changed significantly over the last ten years following budget cuts, and now they tended to just be general needs properties allocated to older people.

g.    The Panel highlighted a recent case study involving Anglesey County Council in which they had adopted a housing first policy and had used void properties to house homeless people. In response, officers commented that the Council already commissioned housing first for homelessness in the borough and that they had been really successful in helping to stabilise those with complex needs and experiences. Officers advised that ongoing consideration would be given to how to use sheltered housing properties differently, particularly in the context of decreasing demand from older people.

h.    The Panel considered what incentives could be offered to those with a multiple bedroom property that was under occupied, to relocate. The Panel emphasised the importance of local networks and queried whether properties within existing estates could be reconfigured to incentivise people to move, albeit within their own local area. Officers acknowledged that there was significant demand for people entering sheltered accommodation to stay within their local area. Officers advised that there was a good spread of  sheltered housing schemes across the borough.

i.      In response to a question around the provision of properties at Larkspur Close, officers advised that redevelopment works were ongoing but that significant investment had been made in improving properties and reconfiguring the layout, to bring more light in for example.  Panel members expressed an interest in visiting the location once works were completed. The Interim Managing Director HfH agreed to provide details to the Panel of when the works would be completed. (Action: Chris Liffen).