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National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society

Date of speech	4 December 2007
Location	Holiday Inn, Stratford upon Avon
Event summary	The Foundations Home Improvement Agency Annual Conference 2007

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Draft text of the speech - may differ from the delivered version.

Thank you Tony for that warm introduction. And congratulations on your appointment as Director of Foundations. I know that your many years of experience at the coal face - as, among other things, a local authority Environmental Health Officer; as Director of two HIAs; and more recently in leading Foundations' development support team - will stand you in good stead; and enable you to speak eloquently - and with a depth of understanding - on behalf of HIAs.

Most of you will know that we have extended Foundations' contract for a further six months - until the end of September next year - to ensure that HIAs have the support that the national body provides.

I am delighted to be able to announce today that my Department will continue to support a national body for HIAs through a further three year contract. As you are aware, we are obliged to tender this through the European Journal, and we'll be starting this process over the next couple of months.

It will be an exciting and challenging contract. There's an important job to be done in helping support the delivery of the strategy for housing in an ageing society, as well as in providing support to HIAs, and a voice for the sector in government. I'd also like to say thank you to all of you who responded to the work we commissioned from PA Consulting earlier this year to help scope this next contract.

Actually, working in the House of Lords really reminds you that the work we're doing on housing in an ageing society is about us and not just other people. Did you know that the average age is 69? Just think of all that accumulated experience of the complex interdependencies between generations, within families. Many of my colleagues have first hand experiences of looking after partners with disabilities, and many have grandchildren.

It has been an interesting year; with a new PM, a new Secretary of State with her own passions and commitment to fairness for older people - and community empowerment.

And, of course, with the new Prime Minister, housing has been given a real boost up the political agenda. Significantly, demographic change is now part of the mainstream agenda. The Green Paper, Homes for the Future - the most radical housing policy for two generations - included a section on housing in an ageing society. It spelled out the importance of preparing for demographic change in the way we plan new communities; ensuring that housing is accessible, and supported by the right infrastructure.

And I have spent quite a bit of time with HIAs this year…I was delighted to give the keynote address at Care and Repair England's 20th Anniversary celebration - which was a very jolly event just before Christmas. And I really enjoyed talking to some of you there. It was great to discover that the very first local Care and Repair scheme was set up in Ferndale in the Rhondda Valley. And it was a real opportunity to reflect on how far you've come in those twenty years - on the leadership and innovation you've shown in pioneering practical ways of helping older and disabled people to live independently in their own homes, and building services that are personal rather than bureaucratic.

And this was evident when, in January, I was invited by Stewart Jones at Age Concern Milton Keynes HIA to launch their "Safe at Home" scheme. The basic idea is that any of the many different agency workers who might visit a vulnerable person in their home takes along a single assessment form, and notes down any actions that can be taken to improve the person's safety and security and independence; and then makes sure that the right agencies then take those actions. It means that the person doesn't have to start from scratch with every new service provider, explaining what somebody else has done, filling out a new form and so on. And it means that they don't miss out on something simply because it isn't in the gift of the particular agency who visits them first.

Breathtakingly simple idea, but - as you're all well-aware - rather less straightforward to achieve in practice. But Stewart's team has made it happen. And the whole process really helps Stewart's team to grow strong relationships with the agencies they work with - through the initial training to raise awareness of what each agency does, and through the feedback processes they now have in place to 'close the loop' - to let the person who made the original referral know that the action has been carried out.

I have also gone out to see for myself what is being achieved - through one of my local HIAs - Eastbourne Care and Repair. Stephen Will and I discovered we were neighbours at the Care and Repair's celebration; and Stephen invited me to visit his agency. Which I did - in March. And I met his team, and some of their stakeholders and clients. But what really sticks in my mind is a visit to one particular young family with a disabled child.

They had recently had a DFG completed for a through the floor lift, level access shower and track and hoist. And they explained to me how the works had completely transformed their lives - especially for their daughter. And, for me, this was one of those rare and rather magical moments in political life when you actually see something in real life that you can say, "I helped to make that happen…I pushed that bit of legislation / regulation (on abolishing means testing for disabled children's DFG) through Parliament."

I also spent a "back to the floor" day working with Stephen in the summer. And I tell you, it was a real eye-opener. I suppose when a Minister visits any agency, we get to see the organisation on show - completed works and satisfied clients. And it's important to remind ourselves that it's not always like that in real life; and that those happy outcomes are often the end result of a lot of hard work, frustrations and setbacks, for both the staff and the client.

That certainly became clear to me that day. What struck me forcibly was:

• the serendipity….. you pick up other problems on the spot
• the local trust and confidence - in the local builder
• the team working and dedication - across the services

And from looking closely at how DFG is managed, I also have a much better understanding of the practical virtues of cross-boundary working … As part of my day with Stephen's team, I met a couple who had been referred to the HIA's handypersons scheme by the Navigator project. They were having a handrail fitted to their backdoor - and I also met Alan who was doing the job.

The Navigator project is part of the East Sussex Partnerships for Older People project. And I couldn't resist finding out more about this … And Stephen very kindly facilitated a visit a couple of weeks ago. That visit taught me a huge amount about the need for close working with the PCT, the Falls Service; the impact of open referrals and low level assessments; the simple technologies of telecare and the difference they make.

Actually, thinking about it, Stephen should consider charging agency fees…

And, so, here we are again … different venue, but I'm beginning to recognise a number of the faces … And last time I spoke with you, I announced that we had just started work on a housing strategy for an ageing society.

And now I have a confession to make; because when I undertook to come again to the conference, I was confident that I could launch our strategy here today with you. And I have to tell you that I'm really very disappointed not to be able to talk to you about the details. But I can give you a flavour of how we've approached the work, and the priorities we've established.

There are many reasons why it has taken longer than we expected. Quite simply, the task turned out to be far larger than any of us expected because we wanted to prepare a document which will really stand the test of time.

We've been mobilising policy makers. We are winning the argument that a society which is ageing rapidly, and with such different attitudes and expectations is a transformational change, and requires a radical rethink of how we provide for - and exploit - this new socio-economic challenge.

We have had to make many different friends for the idea; to undertake research to expand our understanding and to fill the information gaps; and to bring policies and networks together. To do that we have had to:

• involve many colleagues across our own department who are working across housing, planning, urban design, community engagement etc.
• involve many colleagues across Whitehall who are working on adult social care, health service commissioning; extra care and intermediate housing; housing benefits and income benefits; environmental planning and learning and activities.

We've been listening to our own experts and gathering other voices and advice. Our expert advisory group, the Housing and Older People's Development Group (HOPDEV) has provided invaluable support and thinking throughout the process. Sue Adams has done a superb job in co-chairing the group; and, of course, Foundations has represented the interests of HIAs.

Part of this has involved raising the profile of housing and older people. In May, we published a pre-strategy consultation paper setting out the scope of the strategy, and its vision and priorities. We were very much encouraged by the level of interest the paper raised, and the sensible and practical ideas and comments we received.

And we've been talking to lots of people. Just in this last week I have had meetings with Age Concern England, and Help the Aged who help to keep our eyes on what's possible, but our feet firmly on the ground.

We've been pulling together what we know and filling the gaps in our knowledge base. Above all, we've been asking older people what they want themselves. We have commissioned research by York University to help inform the strategy…

First, the work on household projections yielded one of those astonishing statistics that really make you think. When I talked at last year's conference, I rattled off some of the statistics about demographic ageing - and I'll spare you from a repeat of that. But one of the analyses we commissioned looked, not at the growth in the numbers of older people, but in the numbers of older households. And it found that nearly half - a massive 48 per cent - of all projected growth in households is accounted for by older households. And this is only an average figure. In some localities the figure's a lot higher. So, that's a number to be putting in your business plans… and wielding with your budget holders and service commissioners.

Second, the quantitative research also looked at the housing assets of older home owners, starkly revealing the growing financial influence of older people. Households with people over the age of 60 owned an astonishing £932 billion worth of equity in their homes in 2004.

Third, York University has also done some qualitative research on the housing options and aspirations of older people. We will publish this research alongside the strategy, but I'd like to share with you some of the findings. And, frankly, much of what the report says will come as no surprise to you…

• Most people wanted to stay put as long as possible.
• Staying put or moving on is motivated by many factors, including attachment to their current home, complexity of family / caring relationships, neighbours and neighbourhood, and access to services and amenities, as well as health and well-being.
• Most of the people who took part hadn't actively considered their future needs or made any preparations.
• And some - particularly those from Black and Minority Ethnic communities - said there was insufficient independent advice or information on housing options.

And I'd just like to read you something that one 65 year old woman had to say…

"Sometimes older people feel pressurised into making a decision to moving into sheltered housing because they are not aware of what their options are. I feel there should be an agency or individual, that could go out and tell them what their options are, not just the types of housing they could move to, but also having adaptations done to their house, so they could stay put."

We've been making friends far and wide, and we have already begun to promote the need for such a strategy to win more friends and supporters. In June, I spoke to the Fabian Society, and it really felt like a turning point. It generated a genuine buzz among policy informers that we are engaged on something very important. And the work is now one of my Department's top priorities - just take a look at our Departmental plan, Delivering our priorities - published last month.

We were delayed by the later than anticipated Spending Review settlement; and then the Housing Green Paper. But the strategy will be all the better when we publish it. It has given us time to get colleagues across government fully signed-up to our plans, and to make sure they understand the costs and benefits of investing in supporting people to stay independent, safe and comfortable in their own homes for as long as possible.

And we have also been fighting for resources - at a time when there are ever increasing demands on budgets.

Just on that - I want to talk to you about private sector renewal funding, because I know that this is a topic of keen interest at the moment. Through the regional housing pot, we have allocated £10.2bn for regional housing funding for 2008-11. This is a substantial increase on previous funding.

We have asked the Regional Assemblies for their advice and they have come back to us with strong messages on the private sector element of the Regional Housing Pot, and on the priority they, and we, attach to this area of work alongside the affordable housing targets they have also been asked to deliver. We are considering their advice and are mindful of the issues that have been raised in their responses, and elsewhere. I should stress that no final decisions have been taken.

We have said that we expect resources to continue to be targeted on those most in need. In allocating funding through the Regional Housing Pot, we have asked Regional Assemblies to take into account how resources can be used more efficiently to maximise the number of people helped and to reduce reliance on public resources. I know the valuable role that many of you already play in this area. We will continue to monitor the development of regional schemes for loans and equity release packages and consider how emerging good practice - including the regulatory framework - can be shared to accelerate the availability and take up of loans products. I know that Foundations is also pulling together some good practice in this area and I look forward to seeing this.

Improvements in private sector housing conditions have been driven by the PSA target to increase the percentage of private sector vulnerable households living in decent homes to 70 per cent by 2010. Progress towards meeting this target has been good. The national percentage figure has increased from 42.9 per cent in 1996 to 66 per cent today. I want to underline that progress on private sector renewal remains a priority for Government and will contribute to our departmental strategic and cross-Government objectives. And we will continue to collect information on private sector renewal through the English House Conditions Survey as before.

And, of course, Warm Front is still a key tool in providing energy efficient insulation and heating measures into the homes of some of the most vulnerable private sector households. Since the start of the scheme in 2000 some 1.5 million households have received assistance. In the current year, we estimate that a further 230,000 households will receive assistance. And since June, we have extended the offer of a Benefit Entitlement Check to all households that apply to the scheme. Where additional benefits have been identified, the average increase has been around £1,200.

I'm anxious that you understand the journey we have made since last year's conference… we haven't exactly been idle.

I want to talk to you about one of our most significant victories this year - a real step forward in how we recognise the role of older people … the new PSA on poverty, independence and well being in later life.

Why is this so significant? First, in a landscape of reducing numbers of targets, to have a new priority for older people is a major achievement. And it has significant backing across government departments - with indicators on employment, low income and healthy life expectancy. And, of most interest to us, indicators on: the proportion of people over 65 who are satisfied with their home and their neighbourhood, and the extent to which people over 65 receive the support they need to live independently at home.

Second, this means for the first time that older people are at the heart of local government delivery - because the indicators sit within the new streamlined performance framework. Local government used to have to meet no fewer than 1200 targets. In October, we published the list of 198 indicators, setting out our priorities. Local Strategic Partnerships will agree 35 priority indicators as part of the Local Area Agreement.

And there are a number of indicators that HIAs are well-placed to contribute to. For example, as well as the indicator on satisfaction of people over 65 with both home and neighbourhood, there's an indicator on people over 65 who say that they receive the information, assistance and support needed to exercise choice and control to live independently. So, now's the time for you to identify the indicators that you can make a real contribution to locally; and I know that Foundations is doing some useful work to support you in this.

And there's already good practice out there. In Oldham, for example, the LSP is giving priority to supporting older people's independence through a LAA target. And the Oldham Home Shopping Service is run in partnership with Age Concern, which also helps deliver on the LSP's cross-cutting outcome on increasing the role of the voluntary and community sector in service delivery.

The third area where we have made real progress in raising the profile of older people and housing - is in planning policy.

There is no point in building the 3 million homes we need for the future unless we build homes that are sustainable, last a lifetime, and are planned in neighbourhoods and communities which themselves are dedicated to people of all ages.

So I am very pleased to report that in the last year, we have published a revised planning policy statement on housing (PPS3), which gives clear direction to regional and local authorities to assess the housing needs of older and disabled people in developing their strategies and development frameworks. And we have published guidance to support this (Strategic Housing Market Assessment Guidance) to help local authorities get it right.

Alongside the Housing Green Paper, we consulted on the Code for Sustainable Homes, which proposed that Lifetime Homes Standards should be made a compulsory part of the code over time The Code is important in two ways. First, it will mean that housing built to set Code Standards, including both public and growing proportions of private housing, will be built to Lifetime Homes standards over time. Secondly, the Code is a strong signal about our direction of travel for developers. We want to work to a position where all housing is flexible and adaptable for an ageing population and we will be able to expand on this further in the forthcoming strategy.

We have also worked with the International Longevity Centre on a really exciting project. A new concept is now in currency: not just lifetime homes, but…lifetime neighbourhoods. We launched a joint discussion paper a couple of weeks ago… As you can guess, the idea derives from the lifetime homes standard. But the environment outside the home is just as important to older people as the home itself.

A lifetime neighbourhood is welcoming and enabling for everyone, regardless of age, or health, or disability. It provides the built environment, transport infrastructure, housing, services and shared social space that promote health, social, economic and civic participation, and quality of life, for all. Its about putting services for older and disabled people at the heart of the community, inspired by wonderful design, accessible to all, and a real part of the community.

And HIAs have an important role to play in making lifetime neighbourhoods a reality. It's not just about the built environment, it's about access to services - and this is something which you can do very well, through inter-agency working and sign-posting; and I'm aware that some HIAs also offer other services that help connect older people to local shops and services.

We'll be picking up the idea of the lifetime neighbourhood in the strategy.

So, that's all about lifetime principles. The other set of principles we are working to are about the sort of services we want to see in the future… Services that are all about personalisation and prevention.

The Government is committed to increasing personalisation by putting people at the centre of social care/housing support, and giving them more choice and control over the care they receive. Individual Budgets are one way of offering individuals more freedom to decide how and who should deliver the care and support they need.

A number of government departments are working together to develop Individual Budgets and the pilots include a number of funding streams including two that are within Communities and Local Government's remit - Supporting People and DFG. A final report on the pilots including an evaluation of data will be completed in April.

And there is nothing more individual than the Disabled Facilities Grant. DFG helps around 35,000 people a year to continue living independently in their own homes through the provision of adaptations. Central government funding for DFG has more than doubled since 1997 from £57m to £121m this year. I am really pleased to tell you that we have secured a substantial increase in funding of £25 million for 2008-09 - a 20 per cent increase. This will take central government funding up to £146 million in 2008.

The key challenge is to modernise the DFG programme to make it more responsive to individuals' mobility needs. As part of the DFG Review, we published the Bristol report and immediately lifted the means test for children. Earlier this year we held a public consultation on our proposals to improve the programme. We received an excellent response and thanks to all who contributed. We will be announcing a package of changes in the New Year, alongside the housing strategy for an ageing society.

And, alongside this work on personalisation, we're looking at ways to improve prevention. We commissioned the King's Fund to look at how we can better target preventative services. The promising answer they suggest is an American approach - predictive risk modelling - used successfully in the US to predict individual at risk of major health problems. The approach in the UK will create computer models to predict those most at risk a year before they go into hospital or a care home. This is a radical approach. It will pick up excluded older people who have no contact with services other than with a GP. This could be a very helpful tool in improving the targeting of HIA services. We will be publishing the research shortly, and announcing in the strategy how we intend to take this work forward.

And, of course, Supporting People is also all about prevention. Supporting People funds housing-related support for over 840,000 older people, with 8,000 new older clients a year.

In June, we launched Independence and Opportunity: Our Strategy for Supporting People. The strategy is based on four key themes: keeping service users at the heart of the programme; building partnerships with the third sector; delivering in the new local government landscape; and increasing efficiency/reducing bureaucracy.

As you know, this summer we also launched the Supporting People outcome set to monitor the success of SP services across a range of outcomes, based on the five "every child matters" outcomes. This is a real step forward in being able to demonstrate both the financial and individual benefits of this very important programme.

Since the launch, the data indicates that over 80 per cent of older clients felt that the support they received had helped them to achieve a number of outcomes, such as maximising income, and better managing their physical health, which contributed to greater independent living.

Professor Joe Doherty from St Andrews University recently stated that the Outcomes data system is widely recognised in the field as being 'one of the most innovative across Europe'. We have agreed to work in partnership with HIAs to develop a national outcomes set for HIAs to help demonstrate positive outcomes in the sector. Work on this will begin shortly.

This begins to outline the landscape that HIAs will be operating in in the future. And I can announce that we are also doing some work to help ensure that the sector will be fit for this future… The Future HIA project.

… although it's not a particularly well-kept secret. Some of you will the project by its earlier name, the Super HIA. On reflection, we decided to change the name because the project is about the future - it's not about suggesting that any of you are less than Super, but about identifying from across the sector what's good, and what's innovative. The project is very much about looking at how HIAs can continue to deliver Support for Choice in the changing policy and delivery landscape. It will look at: core bread and butter work, like DFGs and adaptations; wider services that some agencies are already offering to their clients, such as housing options advice and support, gardening services, hospital discharge; and services that are delivered by your partner agencies that you are signposting your clients to.

There's an important role for HIAs and commissioners in becoming more strategic … you're already well ahead of the pack in terms of the partnership working you do, and you bring valuable local intelligence to the table. Part of the project will be about how to ensure that you make the most of your potential to shape strategic thinking locally.

So, I'm absolutely delighted to be able to say, formally, that Communities and Local Government has commissioned Foundations to undertake this project over the coming months… We will be publishing the report next Autumn…

I know you've had a busy - and successful - year. My spies tell me there's a bumper crop of high quality entries for this year's HIA Awards. I don't envy the judges their job; but I am very much looking forward to joining the winners at the ceremony in January.

The strategy will have more to say of relevance to the sector - so keep your eyes peeled for the launch, and on Foundations' bulletins… We will work with Foundations, following the launch of the strategy, to talk to you about the details of our proposals.

I'd just like to wish you all the best for the coming year - and I hope that the rest of the conference is a success - the agenda looks very interesting.