3rd November 2011 CHC Group Call on Health Minister to use Social Housing Sector to deliver better outcomes

2 November 2011 

Housing adaptations alone could save £46 million* from NHS and Social Service budget this year

The Community Housing Cymru Group is urging the Welsh Government to use the Social housing Sector in Wales to help deliver better health outcomes as outlined in ‘Together for Health’ The five year vision for the NHS in Wales.

Findings from a recent report by the Kafka Brigade UK, commissioned by the CHC group, suggest that there are a number of opportunities for the social housing sector to support health outcomes – particularly meeting the needs of Wales’ ageing society.

The CHC group are now calling on the Health Minister to give a strategic signal that collaboration between health and housing is an expected part of the NHS reform agenda.

Nick Bennett, Group Chief Executive will outline the findings at ‘Healthy Homes – Healthy Lives’ conference tomorrow, whose audience will include both Lesley Griffiths AM and Housing Minister Huw Lewis, AM.

Nick said: “The idea that good quality housing is crucial to healthy living is well evidenced and accepted in Wales. The purpose of this research was to go a step further to identify current activity where there is a cross over between health and social care and the social housing sector and to highlight opportunities where the housing sector can do more to support health and social care outcomes – alleviating pressure, saving money to the public purse while providing a community based service for local people.”

“Housing associations are already providing home adaptations in partnership with Care & Repair agencies, Extra Care and Sheltered Housing, Nursing Care, Respite Care, domiciliary care with a number providing specialist residential mental health homes and the provision of specialist disability care. 28 out of 38 associations which took part in the research also provide housing plus support under the supporting people banner, including hostel and step-down accommodation. All of these services offer the potential of supporting better outcomes for local people – providing support closer to their homes.”

Chris Jones, Managing Director of Care & Repair Cymru, part of the CHC group said: “In her statement yesterday, Lesley Griffiths AM said ‘The bigger picture is the change in thinking and behaviour, with a focus on positive health and improving the quality of care and services based around people, not buildings.’ The Care & Repair movement has a huge amount to offer Health in helping them achieve their vision. For every £1 spent adapting an older person’s home - £7.50 is saved from NHS and social services budgets and these small adaptations can prevent hospital admission or allow earlier discharge, ensuring older people can return to their own homes and communities much quicker.

Last year it was estimated that falls amongst older people cost the NHS in the UK £4.6 million a day. Hip replacement surgery conservatively costs about £25,000 a go. Bed blocking in Wales has been estimated to cost the NHS in Wales £30 million per year. One residential care placement by Social Services costs around £27,000 per year. Working closely with the Care & Repair and the social housing sector on preventative measures will not only keep people living independently in their own home – it will cost the Welsh Government less in the long run”

The research identified further opportunities for collaboration to increase public value with Housing Associations offering a combination of characteristics that could help the NHS implement their vision; they are third sector partners, closely tied to their communities and can raise capital on the markets. They have the expertise in building and managing public assets and Care & Repair agencies offer similar trusted access to vulnerable older people. Five key opportunities were identified including: early discharge support in extra care schemes and nursing homes, expansion of not for profit nursing care, increasing the level of care available in sheltered housing and extra care schemes, ongoing support to enable people to live healthier at home with the help of Care & Repair agencies and mutualised continuing care villages.

The main barriers that were identified were an uneven relationship between NHS Wales and housing associations, silo provision, silo languages and cultures, procurement challenges and a need for hard evidence.

-ENDS-

The full KAFKA report can be found here. 

The Community Housing Cymru group consists of Community Housing Cymru – the membership body for housing associations in Wales, Care & Repair Cymru, the national body that actively works to ensure that all older people have homes that are safe, secure and appropriate to their needs and CREW, the centre for regeneration excellence in Wales.

*The 46million figure has been calculated as follows:

Care & Repair funding for 2011-12

Core funding £4,094,396.00

RRAP Capital funding £1,641,000.00 (RRAP - Rapid response adaptations)

RRAP Revenue funding £433,312.00

Total funding £6,168,708.00

Multiplied by £7.50 £46,265,310.00